Input device, vehicle having the input device, and method for controlling the vehicle

An input device includes an input module, a detector for detecting a position of a wrist of a user, and a controller for controlling a movement of the input module based on information about the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), the benefit of priority to Korean patent application 10-2015-0097519, filed on Jul. 9, 2015 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a movable input device, a vehicle having the input device, and a method for controlling the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles are commonly equipped with various equipment for interactions with a driver, such as an air conditioner or an Audio Video and Navigation (AVN) system.

The driver operates the various equipment of the vehicle by manipulating different input devices inside the vehicle. Such manipulation may cause a visual distraction and call away the driver's attention from driving. Accordingly, a need exists for an input device that is easy for a driver to manipulate.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an input device for vehicle, which is movable to a position allowing the driver to easily manipulate the input device, vehicle having the input device, and method for controlling the vehicle.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an input device is provided. The input device includes an input module; a detector for detecting a position of a wrist of a user; and a controller for controlling a movement of the input module based on information about the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector.

The controller may be configured to control the input module to be moved to a point located a predetermined first distance away from the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector.

The detector may include a bio-signal sensor for collecting a biological signal of the user.

The bio-signal sensor may include at least one selected from a group including a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera module and a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor module.

The input device may further include an arm rest on which the user rests his/her arm, the arm rest including a first arm rest that constitutes an exterior and a second arm rest movably formed inside the first arm rest.

The detector may include a pressure sensor installed inside the first arm rest for collecting data of pressure applied onto the first arm rest, and a bio-signal sensor installed inside the second arm rest for collecting a biological signal of the user.

The bio-signal sensor may be movably formed inside the second arm rest.

The controller may control movement of the second arm rest based on pressure information collected from the pressure sensor.

The controller may determine a position of an elbow of the user based on the pressure information collected from the pressure sensor, and control the second arm rest to be moved to a point located a predetermined second distance away from the determined position of the elbow.

The controller may control the input module to be moved to a predetermined reference position if the vehicle is started.

The controller may control the input module to be moved to a predetermined initial position if an engine of the vehicle is turned off.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes an input module for receiving a control command; a detector for detecting a position of a wrist of a user; and a controller for controlling a movement of the input module based on information about the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector.

The controller may be configured to control the input module to be moved to a point located a predetermined first distance away from the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector.

The detector may include a bio-signal sensor for collecting a biological signal of the user.

The input device may further include an arm rest on which the user rests his/her arm, the arm rest including a first arm rest that constitutes an exterior and a second arm rest movably formed inside the first arm rest.

The detector may include a pressure sensor installed inside the first arm rest for collecting data of pressure applied onto the first arm rest, and a bio-signal sensor installed inside the second arm rest for collecting a biological signal of the user.

The bio-signal sensor may be movably formed inside the second arm rest.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle is provided. The method includes collecting, by a bio-signal sensor, a biological signal of a user; detecting a position of a wrist of the user from the collected biological signal data; and controlling the input module to be moved to a point located a predetermined first distance away from the position of the wrist based on the detected information about the position of the wrist.

The vehicle may include a first arm rest that constitutes an exterior and a second arm rest movably formed inside the first arm rest, and the method may further include collecting data of pressure applied onto the first arm rest; detecting a position of an elbow of the user from the collected data of pressure; and controlling the second arm rest to be moved to a point located a predetermined second distance away from the position of the elbow based on the detected information about the position of the elbow.

Collecting, by a bio-signal sensor, a biological signal of a user may include collecting a biological signal of the user while the bio-signal sensor is moving back and forth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of a vehicle and method for controlling the same will now be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1shows an exterior of a vehicle100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 1, the vehicle100may include a main body1that constitutes an exterior of the vehicle100, a front glass2that allows the driver inside the vehicle100to look ahead of the vehicle100, wheels3,4for moving the vehicle100, a driving system5for turning the wheels3,4, doors6that shield the inside of the vehicle100from outside, and side mirrors7,8that help the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle100.

The front shield2, also termed as a windshield glass, may be placed on the top front of the main body100for securing a front view for the driver inside the vehicle100.

The wheels3and4include front wheels3and rear wheels4, and the driving system5may provide turning forces to the front wheels3or rear wheels4to move the vehicle100forward or backward. The driving system5may employ a motor that produces the turning force from electrical power supplied from a storage battery (not shown) or a combustion engine (not shown) that burns a fuel to create the turning force.

The doors6may be pivotally attached onto the left and right sides of the main body1, and opened for the driver and passenger to get in or get out of the vehicle100and closed for shielding the inside of the vehicle100from the outside. The doors6may have windows installed thereon for the driver and passenger to look in or out through the windows. In some embodiments, the windows may be installed to have only one viewable side and be opened and closed.

The side mirrors7and8include a left side mirror7and a right side mirror8placed on the left and right sides of the main body1, respectively, for helping the driver obtain views behind and to the side of the vehicle100.

FIG. 2shows an interior of the vehicle100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG. 2, the vehicle100may include seats10reserved for driver and passengers to sit on, a center console20, a center facia30and a dashboard50having a steering wheel40.

The center console20may be placed between the driver seat10and a passenger seat next to the driver seat10to partition the seats. The center console20may include a gear box that contains a gear system. Transmission shift levers21for gearshifting may be installed in the gear box.

An arm rest25may be placed behind the center console20for the driver or passenger to rest his/her arm thereon. The arm rest25is a part for the driver or passenger to rest his/her arm thereon to achieve a comfortable posture in the vehicle100, and there may be sensors installed inside the arm rest25for collecting information regarding an arm of the driver or passenger.

An input device200for receiving control commands for the vehicle100may be placed in the center console20. The driver may use the input device200to change settings of the vehicle100or may control various convenience systems included in the vehicle100. The input device200may be movably arranged to allow the driver to easily manipulate the input device200, which will be described later.

In the center facia30, an air conditioner31, a clock32, an audio system33, and an Audio, Video, and Navigation (AVN) system34may be installed.

The air conditioner31keeps the atmosphere inside the vehicle100pleasant by controlling temperature, humidity, air quality, and air flows inside the vehicle100. The air conditioner31may include at least one vent31ainstalled in the center facia30for venting air. There may also be buttons or dials installed in the center facia30to control e.g., the air conditioner31. The driver or the user may control the air conditioner31with the buttons arranged on the center facia30.

The clock32may be mounted around the buttons or dials for controlling the air conditioner31.

The audio system33may include a control panel on which a number of buttons are mounted to perform functions of the audio system33. The audio system133may provide a radio mode for radio listening and a media mode for reproducing audio files stored in various storage media.

The AVN system34may be embedded in the center facia30of the vehicle100. The AVN system34is a system for comprehensively performing audio, video and navigation functions of the vehicle100according to manipulations of the user. The AVN system34may include an input unit35for entering user commands regarding the AVN system34, and a display36for displaying a screen related to audio play, video play, or navigation.

The steering wheel40is a tool to control a traveling direction of the vehicle100, including a rim41to be held by the driver and a spoke42connected to a steering system of the vehicle100for connecting the rim41to a hub of a rotation shaft for steering. In an embodiment, control devices42a,42bmay be formed on the spoke42to control various devices, e.g., the audio system.

In an embodiment, the dashboard50may include various instrument panels to indicate traveling speeds of the vehicle100, engine rpm, fuel gauge, or the like, and a glove box.

The input device200arranged to be movable in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail.FIGS. 3 to 5show views for explaining movement of the input device200according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 3shows the input device200placed in a first position,FIG. 4shows the input device200placed in a second position, andFIG. 5shows the input device200placed in an initial position.

To allow the user to easily manipulate the input device200, the input device200needs to be in a position that corresponds to a hand of the user. Since the position where the hand of the user is naturally placed may vary with physical characteristics of the user, such as the user's sitting posture, height, arm length, or the like, a need may exist to adjust the position of the input device200according to the condition of the user. Thus, the input device200equipped in the vehicle100in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure may be arranged to be movable to a position allowing the user to easily manipulate the input device200.

Specifically, an input module210of the input device200may be moved to a position corresponding to a hand H of the user, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. As such, as the input module210of the input device200is moved according to a position of the hand H, the user may better manipulate the input device200and visual distraction of the user to the input device200may also be minimized.

In an embodiment, the input module210of the input device200may be moved to an initial position if there is no need to manipulate the input device200. For example, while the vehicle100is running on the highway as shown inFIG. 5, or while the engine of the vehicle100is turned off, there is no need to manipulate the input device200, in which case the input module210of the input device200may be moved to the initial position. The initial position may refer to a position set up in advance by the user or the manufacturer of the vehicle100. For example, the initial position may be located inside the arm rest25as shown inFIG. 5, but is not limited thereto. In the case that the input device200is located inside the arm rest25as shown inFIG. 5, possible contamination of the input device200may be minimized.

FIG. 6is a control block diagram of the input device200, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle100may include the same features as shown inFIG. 6, and the following description will focus on features of the input device200.

Referring toFIG. 6, the input device200may include an input module210for receiving a control command from the user, a driving unit260for driving the input module210, a memory270, a detector280for detecting a position of a wrist of the user, and a controller290for controlling general operations of the input device200.

The input module210may convert a control command input from the user to an electric signal and send the electric signal to the controller290. A specific embodiment of the input module210will be described in more detail in connection withFIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7shows the input module210of the input device200equipped in the vehicle100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 7, the input module210of the input device200may be implemented as a concave input module210. Specifically, the concave input module210may include a mounting face220, a projecting part230installed on the mounting face220to protrude from the mounting face220, a recess240formed to be recessed on the inside of the projecting part230, and a touching part250formed on the bottom face of the recess240. The projecting part230, recess240, and touching part250may be integrally formed, or combined into one structural unit.

The mounting face220may constitute the overall appearance of the concave input module210, and may be formed of a separate substance from that of the projecting part230, the recess240, and the touching part250, but is not limited thereto.

The mounting face220may be implemented in a flat form, but is not limited thereto and may be implemented in a convex or concave form in some other embodiments.

Although not shown inFIG. 7, the input module210may further include another input means. For example, a push button or membrane button may be mounted on the mounting face220to input a control command, and a toggle switch may be mounted on the projecting part230or recess240.

The projecting part230may be formed to protrude from the mounting face220. Specifically, the projecting part230may include an outer side231connected to the mounting face220and a ridge232connected to the outer side231. The outer side231may be arranged between the mounting face220and the ridge232with a predetermined curvature to connect the mounting face220and the ridge232, but is not limited thereto.

The ridge232may have a form that corresponds to the recess240, e.g., a ring form. However, the ridge232is not limited thereto, but may have a form depending on the form of the touching part250of the concave input module210.

The recess240may be formed to be recessed from the ridge232toward the inside of the projecting part230. The recess240may include an opening with a ring-shaped horizontal cross-section. For example, the recess240may have a form that is opened in a ring form at the ridge232and inwardly recessed from the opening.

The recess240may include an inner side241connected to the ridge232and a bottom part242having the touching part250formed thereon. As an example, the inner side241shaped like the inside of a cylinder and the bottom part242shaped like a flat circle are shown inFIG. 7.

The recess240may include a connecting part243to connect the inner side241and the bottom part242. The connecting part243may have the form of a curved face with a tilting or negative curvature. The negative curvature may refer to a curvature that makes the curved face look concave when viewed from outside of the recess240. The connecting part243may be graduated at predetermined intervals to help the user make intuitive touch inputs, and the graduations may be embossed or engraved.

When the user makes a touch input across the connecting part243, the user may make more intuitive touch inputs due to a tactile stimulus from the graduations.

The bottom part242may include the touching part250, which may receive touch inputs of the user. For this, the touching part250may include a touch pad for recognizing contacts or approximations of the user's finger or a pointer like a touch pen. The touch pad may be implemented in a resistive, optical, capacitive, ultrasonic, or pressurized way, but the way of recognizing contacts or approximations of the user is not limited thereto.

The touching part250may be formed to have a curved face with a predetermined curvature. For example, the touching part250may have a downwardly concave form, but the form of the touching part250is not limited thereto. For example, the touching part250may have a flat form, or may have an upwardly convex form.

A touch pad may also be formed on the connecting part243for receiving touch inputs of the user. In this case, a single touch pad is contained in the bottom part242and connecting part243for receiving the user's touch inputs on the bottom part242and the connecting part243at the same time. The bottom part242and the connecting part243may be implemented with different touch pads if necessary.

On the mounting face220, a wrist supporter221for supporting the user's wrist may be formed. The wrist supporter221may be placed at a higher level than the touching part250. This may prevent the wrist from being bent up when the user makes an input gesture on the touching part250with his/her finger while resting the wrist on the wrist supporter221, thereby preventing possible musculoskeletal disorders of the user and giving the user a more comfortable feeling of manipulation.

FIG. 8shows the input module210of the input device200equipped in the vehicle100, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 8, an input module210aof the input device200may be implemented as a dial input module210a. Specifically, the dial input module210amay include a mounting part220aand a dial input part230formed on the mounting part220a. The dial input part230amay be formed to be turned around a rotation axis or tilted to one side for outputting an input signal corresponding to the turning or tilting.

A dial touching part231amay be formed on the top of the dial input part230afor receiving touch inputs, and a handle232amay be formed on the side of the dial input part230ato improve the user's sense of grip during manipulation. The user may input a control command through the touching part231aformed on the top of the dial input part230a, or may input a control command by gripping the handle232aand turning the entire dial input part230aor tilting the dial input part230ato a side.

The dial input module210may have a key control unit around the dial input part230ato improve the user's convenience of manipulation, and in this regard, descriptions overlapping with what was described above will be omitted herein.

The input module210may be movably formed. More specifically, the input module210may be formed to be movable to a position for the user to conveniently manipulate the input module210.

The input module210may be driven by the driving unit260of the input device200, which will be described in more detail in connection withFIGS. 9 to 11.FIG. 9schematically shows the driving unit260of the input device200, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 10shows a view for explaining transfer of driving force of the driving unit260, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 11shows a view for explaining transfer of driving force of the driving unit260, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The driving unit260may drive the input device200based on a control of the controller290. In other words, the driving unit260may move the input module210back and forth or to the left or right under control of the controller290. AlthoughFIGS. 9 to 11illustrate that the driving unit260is configured to drive the input device200back and forth, the same features of the driving unit260ofFIGS. 9 to 11may also be applied in an occasion where the driving unit260drives the input device200to the left or right. An occasion where the input device200is driven back and forth will now be described.

Referring toFIG. 9, the driving unit260is placed on the center console20, and may include a driving motor261for creating a driving force, a first guide262for moving the input device200with the driving force created by the driving motor261, and a second guide263for assisting movement of the input device200.

The driving motor261may be implemented by a stepping motor capable of controlling the rotation angle.

As shown inFIG. 10, the first guide262may include a housing262athat constitutes the exterior, a screw shaft262barranged inside the housing262a, and a transfer member262cthat is moved back and forth according to a rotation of the screw shaft262b.

Specifically, the screw shaft262bmay be connected to the driving motor261and may be rotated about a rotation axis C when the driving motor261is driven, and conchoids may be formed on the screw shaft262b. The transfer member262cmay be combined with the conchoids of the screw shaft262b, and one face of the transfer member262cmay be combined with the input module210. When the screw shaft262bis rotated by the driving motor261, the transfer member combined with the screw shaft262bmay be moved back and forth along the conchoids of the screw shaft262b. Accordingly, the input module210combined with the transfer member262cmay be moved. A direction in which the transfer member262cis moved may be determined according to the rotation direction of the screw shaft262b.

The second guide263is combined with the input module210to guide the input module210that is moved back and forth by the first guide262to move straight.

While it is described inFIG. 10that the driving unit260moves the input module210by controlling rotation of the screw shaft262b, the method for driving the input device200is not limited thereto, but may include various combinations of devices that are able to move the input module210. For example, the first guide262may be replaced by a third guide264as shown inFIG. 11, the third guide264including a housing264athat constitutes the exterior, a driving belt264bthat extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing264ato form a closed curve that is rotating in the longitudinal direction, and a transfer member264cthat is moved by the driving belt264b. Driving forces created by the driving motor261may be transferred to the input module210by the driving belt264b.

The detector280may detect a position of a wrist of the user. More specifically, the detector280may collect a biological signal of the user to detect the position of a wrist of the user.

Accordingly, the detector280may include a bio-signal sensor281for collecting biological signals of the user. The bio-signal sensor281may be mounted inside the arm rest25on which the user's arm is rested. The bio-signal sensor281may be formed inside the arm rest25to be moved back and forth in an embodiment, or to be rotated in place in another embodiment. In the case that the bio-signal sensor281is formed inside the arm rest25to be moved back and forth, the bio-signal sensor281may collect biological signals of a wrist of the user while moving along a rail formed inside the arm rest25, and in the case that the bio-signal sensor281is formed to be rotated in place, the bio-signal sensor281may collect biological signals of the wrist of the user while rotating at a fixed place. Alternatively, the bio-signal sensor281may collect biological signals of the wrist of the user while moving along the rail and simultaneously rotating around the rotation axis. In the case where the bio-signal sensor281collects biological signals while rotating around a specific rotation axis, a wide vision may be secured as compared to the case where the bio-signal sensor281is fixed, and thus a wider range of biological signal data may be collected.

The bio-signal sensor281may include a feature that is able to collect biological signals, such as an infrared Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera module, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor module, or the like.

In a method for collecting biological signals with the CCD camera module, a position of a wrist of the user may be detected by detecting a region where the veins stretching to a hand H of the user are intensely distributed. For example, the CCD camera module may include an image capturer for capturing an image of a wrist of the user and an image processor for processing the captured image to analyze the vein distribution pattern. The image capturer of the CCD camera module may include an infrared CCD camera. The image capturer may collect image data of a wrist of the user, and output the collected image data to the image processor. The image processor may extract an image of a region of interest in which veins are intensely distributed from the image data collected by the image capturer, and may extract a vein pattern of user's wrist from the extracted image of the region of interest. The image processor may output data of the extracted vein pattern of the wrist to the controller290, which may then determine a position of the wrist by comparing the extracted vein pattern of the wrist and predetermined stored data.

A method for collecting biological signals with the PPG sensor module includes irradiating light of a particular wavelength band to the human body, detecting the pulse of the user by detecting the reflected or transmitted light, and detecting the position of the wrist of the user based on the detected pulse information. In this embodiment, the PPG sensor module may scan a part of an arm of the user to collect biological signals of the user, and send the collected biological signals to the controller290. With the PPG sensor module, biological signals of the user may be collected in a non-invasive way, and the pulse may be detected with a single sensor, enabling more convenient collection of biological signals of the user.

The method for collecting biological signals of the user is not limited thereto, but there may be a piezoelectric method using a piezo-element, a magnetic method using a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) element, a method using a pressure film sensor, an impedance method using bioelectric impedance, etc.

In some embodiments, the detector280may further include a pressure sensor282for detecting a position of an elbow of the user. The user may manipulate the input device200while resting his/her arm on the arm rest25, in which case a portion of the arm rest25on which the arm is rested may be pressurized. The pressure sensor282may output collected pressure data to the controller290, which may determine a portion detected with the highest pressure to be a position of the elbow based on the collected pressure data. The detector280may include various sensors to detect a position of an elbow of the user, in addition to the pressure sensor282.

Once the position of the elbow is determined based on data obtained from the pressure sensor282, movement of the bio-signal sensor281may be controlled more easily. Specifically, the user has an arm of a length within a predetermined range, and once the position of an elbow of the user is determined, a wrist of the user may be determined to be located within a predetermined distance from the position of the elbow. Accordingly, a position of a wrist of the user may be easily determined by controlling movement of the bio-signal sensor281within the predetermined distance from the position of the elbow based on the information about the position of the elbow. However, the movement of the bio-signal sensor281should not be necessarily based on the data obtained from the pressure sensor282. In some other embodiments, the input device200may not include the pressure sensor282.

The memory270may store various data, programs, or applications for driving and controlling the input device200. More specifically, a control program for controlling the input device200, a dedicated application initially provided by the manufacturer or a universal application downloaded from outside, and/or the like may be stored in the memory270.

The memory270may store information regarding a vein pattern of the portion of a wrist of the user. In an embodiment where the CCD camera module is used for the bio-signal sensor281, the memory270may store vein pattern data of the user extracted from image data collected by the CCD camera module in real time, with pre-learned vein pattern data of the user. The pre-learned vein pattern data of the user may be provided to identify a position of the wrist of the user. The controller290as will be described below may identify the position of the wrist of the user by matching the pre-learned vein pattern data of the user and the image data collected in real time, or by using vein branching characteristics.

The memory270may also store pulse information of the portion of the wrist of the user. Specifically, the memory270may store information regarding a PPG signal obtained in real time by the PPG sensor module. The PPG signal herein refers to a signal that represents a pulse component produced from the heartbeat of the user. The memory270may provide the controller290with information regarding the PPG signal at the request of the controller290, and the controller290may then determine a portion that comes with the highest amplitude of the PPG signal to be the position of the wrist.

The memory270may store information about arm length of the user and information about a position of an elbow of the user obtained from the pressure sensor282. The memory270may provide the controller290with the information about a position of the elbow and information about the arm length at the request of the controller290, and the controller290may then control movement of the bio-signal sensor281based on the information about a position of the elbow and information about the arm length.

The controller290controls general operations of the input device200. The controller290may include one or more processors. The processor may be implemented in arrays of multiple logic gates, or in a combination of a universal microprocessor and a memory that stores a program executable in the microprocessor.

The controller290may recognize a control command input through the input module210and output a control signal corresponding to the input control command. The control signal may be sent to a corresponding component of the vehicle100. For example, the controller290may recognize a control command input through the input module210, such as operations of flicking, swiping, rolling, circling, spinning, or tapping, and may output a control signal that corresponds to the control command recognized to operate the corresponding component.

The controller290may determine a position of a wrist of the user based on the data collected from the bio-signal sensor281.

A process of determining a position of the wrist of the user based on the image information collected through the CCD camera module is as follows. First, the CCD camera module collects an image of the wrist of the user through the image capturer, and outputs the collected image to the image processor. The image processor may be integrated in the controller290, but is not limited thereto. The image processor extracts an image of a region of interest in which veins are intensely distributed from the image obtained from the image capturer, extracts a vein pattern of the wrist of the user from the image of the region of interest, and outputs the extracted vein pattern data to the controller290. The controller290may determine a position of the wrist by comparing the vein pattern data of the wrist obtained from the image processor and vein pattern data of the user stored in the memory270. The stored vein pattern data of the user may be data obtained by learning vein patterns in the portion of the wrist in advance from images of various people.

A process of determining a position of the wrist of the user based on the image information collected through the PPG sensor module is as follows. First, the PPG sensor module detects reflection or transmission characteristics of the light irradiated onto the portion of the wrist of the user, and outputs the detected data to the controller290. PPG refers to a signal that represents a pulse component produced from the heartbeat. The reflection or transmission characteristics of light are different depending on the pulse component, and thus the pulse may be detected by analyzing the light characteristics. The controller290may determine a position that comes with the highest amplitude of the PPG signal to be the position of the wrist of the user by analyzing the data obtained from the PPG sensor module.

The controller290may control movement of the input module210based on the information regarding the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector280.

For example, the controller290may control the input module210to be moved to the initial position if there is no need to use the input device200as in a situation where the engine of the vehicle100is turned off, thereby minimizing contamination of the input device200. When the vehicle100is started again and the input device200needs to be used, the controller290may control the input module210to be moved to a reference position. The reference position herein may refer to a position set up in advance by the user or the manufacturer of the vehicle100, but is not limited thereto. For example, a position of the input module210before the input module210is moved to the initial position may be set up to be the reference position, in which case the location of the reference position may vary with the condition.

In another example, the controller290may control movement of the input module210such that the input module210is moved to a position that corresponds to a determined position of the hand H. Specifically, the controller290may control the input module210to be moved to a point located a predetermined first distance away from the position of the wrist of the user detected by the detector280. The first distance may be determined by taking into account an average size of the hand H of the user, and may be determined within a range of about 15 cm to about 25 cm in some embodiments. Furthermore, an initial value of the first distance may be determined by the manufacturer while the vehicle is manufactured. In some other embodiments, the initial value of the first distance may be determined by the user.

The controller290may control the input module210to be moved forward if the position of the input module210determined based on the position of the hand H of the user is ahead of the current position of the input module210, and to be moved backward if the determined position of the input module210is behind the current position of the input module210. In some embodiments, the controller290may control the input module210to be moved to the right if the determined position of the input module210is on the right side of the current position of the input module210, and to be moved to the left if the determined position of the input module210is on the left side of the current position of the input module210.

In some embodiments, the controller290may determine a position of the elbow and control movement of the bio-signal sensor281based on the position of the elbow.

The bio-signal sensor281may be movably formed in order to more efficiently collect biological signals of the wrist of the user. In order for the bio-signal sensor281to detect the position of the wrist of the user with the minimum movement, information about a position of the elbow of the user may be used. The arm length of the user is within a certain range, and when the position of the elbow of the user is determined, a position of the wrist of the user may be determined to be within a predetermined distance from the position of the elbow of the user. In this regard, the controller290may control the bio-signal sensor281to be moved around the position where the wrist of the user is expected to be located.

Next, another embodiment of the input device200awill now be described.

FIG. 12is a control block diagram of the input device200a, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle100may include the same features as shown inFIG. 12, and the following description will focus on features of the input device200a.

Referring toFIG. 12, the input device200amay include an arm rest25a, an input module210a, a driving unit260a, a memory270a, a detector280a, and a controller290a. The input device200aof the embodiment ofFIG. 12is distinguished from the aforementioned input device200ain that the arm rest25ais movably formed, and the following description will focus on the difference.

FIG. 13shows a structure of a dual arm rest25aof the input device200aaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIGS. 14 and 15show an example where a second arm rest25-2aof the input device200ais moved.

Referring toFIG. 13, the arm rest25aof the input device200amay have a structure of a dual arm rest25a. Specifically, the arm rest25amay include a first arm rest25-1athat constitutes the exterior of the arm rest25a, and a second arm rest25-2aplaced inside the first arm rest25-1a.

The first arm rest25-1amay serve as a housing that forms the exterior of the arm rest25aand may be placed on the center console20in a fixed form. A pressure sensor282afor collecting data of pressure applied onto the first arm rest25-1amay be installed inside the first arm rest25-1a. The pressure sensor282amay collect data of pressure applied by an arm of the user, and send the data to the controller290a.

The second arm rest25-2amay be movably formed inside the first arm rest25-1a. A bio-signal sensor281afor collecting biological signals of the user may be installed in the second arm rest25-2a. Specifically, the bio-signal sensor281amay be installed at one end of the second arm rest25-2awhere the wrist of the user is naturally placed when the user puts his/her arm on the arm rest25a. In an embodiment, the bio-signal sensor281amay be formed to be moved back and forth or to the left and right inside the second arm rest25-2a. Alternatively, the bio-signal sensor281amay be formed to be rotated around a fixed rotation axis. In some other embodiments, the bio-signal sensor281amay be formed to be rotated while moving.

The second arm rest25-2amay be formed to be moved back and forth by a second arm rest driving unit260-2a. The second arm rest driving unit260-2amay employ the same scheme as in the driving unit260of the input device200aas described inFIGS. 9 to 11, so the description overlapping with what is described inFIGS. 9 to 11will be omitted herein.

The input module210amay be installed inside the second arm rest25-2a, and the input module210amay be movably formed. Specifically, the input module210amay be formed to be moved back and forth by an input module driving unit260-1a. In the following description, overlapping parts with those described in connection withFIGS. 7 to 11will be omitted herein.

A method for moving the second arm rest25-2aand the input module210awill now be described in more detail in connection withFIGS. 14 and 15.

As shown inFIG. 14, when the user rests his/her arm on the first arm rest25-1a, the wrist of the user is placed at a position that corresponds to a position of the bio-signal sensor281alocated at one end of the second arm rest25-2a. In this case, the second arm rest25-2amay not be moved while the bio-signal sensor281ainstalled inside the second arm rest25-2ais moving back and forth or to the left and right to collect biological signal data of the user in an embodiment.

The biological signal data of the user collected by the bio-signal sensor281amoving back and forth or to the left and right may be sent to the controller290a. The controller290amay determine a position of the wrist of the user based on the collected biological signal data of the user, and once the position of the wrist of the user is determined, an optimal position of the input module210amay be determined. The optimal position of the input module210amay be determined to be a point located a predetermined first distance away from the position of the wrist of the user. Once the position of the input module210ais determined, the input module210amay be moved to the determined position. The optimal position of the input module210ais a position where it is expected that the user may conveniently manipulate the input module210athere, and the first distance may be programmed in advance by the manufacturer or may vary according to settings of the user. Description overlapping with what is described above is omitted herein.

As shown inFIG. 15, when the user rests his/her arm on the first arm rest25-1a, the wrist of the user is placed away from the bio-signal sensor281ainstalled in the second arm rest25-2a, making it difficult to determine the position of the wrist of the user. Accordingly, in this case, the second arm rest25-2amay be moved forward for the bio-signal sensor281ato better collect biological signals of the user. In this case, a position of the elbow of the user may be determined by collecting pressure data from a pressure sensor282ainstalled in the first arm rest25-1a, and a moving distance of the second arm rest25-2amay be determined from the position of the elbow of the user and the data of the user's arm length.

As the second arm rest25-2ais moved forward, the bio-signal sensor281amay collect biological signals of the user more conveniently. More specifically, the bio-signal sensor281amay collect biological signal data of the user while being moved back and forth or to the left and right.

The biological signal data of the user collected by the bio-signal sensor281amoving back and forth or to the left and right may be sent to the controller290a. The controller290amay determine a position of the wrist of the user based on the collected biological signal data of the user, and once the position of the wrist of the user is determined, an optimal position of the input module210amay be determined. In the following description, what is overlapping withFIG. 14will be omitted.

The detector280amay include the bio-signal sensor281ato detect a position of a wrist of the user. The bio-signal sensor281amay include a CCD camera module, a PPG sensor module, etc. Overlapping descriptions about the CCD camera module and PPG sensor module will be omitted herein.

In some embodiments, the detector282amay further include a pressure sensor282ato detect a position of the elbow of the user. The user may manipulate the input device200awhile resting his/her arm on the arm rest25a, in which case a portion of the arm rest25aon which the arm is rested may be pressurized. The pressure sensor282amay output collected pressure data to the controller290a, which may determine a portion with the highest pressure detected to be a position of the elbow based on the collected pressure data.

Once the position of the elbow is determined based on the data obtained from the pressure sensor282a, movement of the second arm rest25-2aand bio-signal sensor281amay be easily controlled. Specifically, the user has an arm of a length within a predetermined range, and if the position of the user's elbow is determined, the user's wrist may be determined to be located within a predetermined distance from the position of the elbow. Accordingly, movement of the second arm rest25-2amay be controlled such that the bio-signal sensor281ais located a predetermined second distance away from the position of the elbow. The second distance may be determined by taking into account an average arm length of the user. The second distance may be determined in advance by the manufacturer in the process of manufacturing the vehicle100, or may be determined by the user. In some embodiments, after the second arm rest25-2ais moved, movement of the bio-signal sensor281ainstalled inside the second arm rest25-2amay be controlled back and forth or to the left and right. This is to collect more correct biological signal data of the user.

The controller290acontrols general operations of the input device200a. The controller290amay include one or more processors. The processor may be implemented in arrays of multiple logic gates, or in a combination of a universal microprocessor and a memory that stores a program executable in the microprocessor. The controller290ain accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the features of the controller290aas described above in connection withFIG. 6, so the overlapping description will be omitted herein.

The controller290amay control movement of the second arm rest25-2abased on the pressure information collected from the pressure sensor282a. More specifically, the controller290amay determine a position of the elbow of the user based on the pressure information collected from the pressure sensor282a, and control the second arm rest25-2ato be moved to a point located the predetermined second distance away from the determined position of the elbow. The movement control for the second arm rest25-2aand bio-signal sensor281ais not necessarily based on the data obtained from the pressure sensor282a, but may be performed using e.g., an infrared sensor.

The input device200ain accordance with another embodiment has thus far been described.

A method for controlling the vehicle100will now be described.

FIG. 16is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the vehicle100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 16, a method for controlling the vehicle100may include collecting a biological signal of the user from the bio-signal sensor281, in operation340, detecting a position of a wrist of the user from the collected biological signal data, in operation350, and controlling movement of the input module210based on the detected information about the position of the wrist, in operation360.

Collecting the biological signal of the user from the bio-signal sensor281may include collecting a biological signal around the wrist of the user from the CCD camera module or PPG sensor module. The biological signal of the user may refer to the vein pattern, pulse signal, etc., of the user, but is not limited thereto.

Next, detecting a position of a wrist of the user from the collected biological signal data is performed. In the case that the biological signal of the user is collected through the CCD camera module, the position of the wrist may be determined by comparing the vein pattern of the user obtained by the CCD camera module and stored vein pattern data. In the case that the biological signal of the user is collected through the PPG sensor module, the data obtained from the PPG module may be analyzed and a point that comes with the highest amplitude of the PPG signal from the analysis may be determined to be a position of the wrist of the user, in operation350.

Next, controlling movement of the input module210based on the detected information about the position of the wrist is performed. Controlling movement of the input module210may include controlling the input module210to be moved to a point located a predetermined first distance away from the position of the wrist. The first distance may be determined taking into account an average size of the hand H of the user, or may be determined within a range of about 15 cm to about 25 cm in some other embodiments, in operation360.

FIG. 17is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the vehicle100, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 17, a method for controlling the vehicle100may include, in addition to what is described in connection withFIG. 16, collecting data of pressure applied onto the first arm rest25, in operation310, detecting a position of an elbow of the user from the collected data of pressure, in operation320, and controlling movement of the second arm rest25based on the detected information about the position of the elbow of the user, in operation330.

In the method for controlling the vehicle100in accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle100is assumed to have a dual arm rest25. In this case, biological signals of the user may be more efficiently collected by controlling the second arm rest25located inside the first arm rest25to be moved back and forth with respect to the vehicle100.

Specifically, collecting data of pressure applied onto the first arm rest25may include collecting data of pressure applied by a hand of the user when the user rests his/her arm on the arm rest25. The pressure sensor282may be installed inside the first arm rest25for collecting pressure data and outputting the pressure data to the controller290, in operation310.

Next, detecting a position of an elbow of the user from the collected pressure data may be performed. Specifically, the controller290may analyze the pressure data obtained from the pressure sensor282and determine a point with the highest pressure to be a position of the elbow of the user, in operation320.

Next, controlling movement of the second arm rest25based on the detected information about the position of the elbow of the user may be performed. Specifically, the controller290may control the second arm rest25to be moved to a point located a predetermined second distance away from the position of the elbow based on the detected information about the position of the elbow. The second distance may be determined taking into account an average arm length of the user, and the description overlapping with what is described above is omitted herein, in operation330.

The input device200, vehicle100including the input device200, and method for controlling the vehicle100has thus far been described.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an input device for vehicle, which is personalized for the driver to easily manipulate, may be provided.

Furthermore, the input device may be actively moved, thereby minimizing visual distraction of the driver for recognition of the input device and additionally providing the driver with emotional values, such as feeling of luxuriousness or modernity.

Several embodiments have thus been described, but it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, it will be apparent to those ordinary skilled in the art that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described, but can encompass not only the appended claims but the equivalents.