US 12,337,792 B1
Gesture-based vehicle entry system with virtual keypad
Keith Weston, Canton, MI (US); Andrew Brown, Royal Oak, MI (US); Stuart C. Salter, White Lake, MI (US); and John R. Van Wiemeersch, Novi, MI (US)
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/623,317.
Int. Cl. B60R 25/20 (2013.01); B60K 35/28 (2024.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 25/2045 (2013.01) [B60K 35/28 (2024.01); G06F 3/017 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle entry system for a vehicle, comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture real-time images according to a predetermined field of view from the vehicle;
a lockout device configured to selectably provide access to the vehicle; and
a controller configured to track a plurality of touching gestures of a user outside the vehicle to identify a sequence of touchpoints which encode a security key and to operate the lockout device to provide the access when the user validly performs the sequence of touchpoints which encode the security key, wherein the controller is adapted to preconfigure the sequence of touchpoints in a setup mode in which the controller:
(A) detects an initial performance by an administrant of a timed series of distinct gestures according to a chosen number and location of touchpoints on a surface on or near the vehicle in the predetermined field of view;
(B) prompts the administrant for a plurality of repetition trials of the series of distinct gestures;
(C) detects respective touchpoints during the repetition trials to collect respective sets of datapoints for each one of the distinct gestures in the series;
(D) determines a respective deviation contour for each respective set;
(E) expands the respective deviation contours to represent regions of validity for respective touchpoints; and
(F) accepts the expanded deviation contours as defining the security key if there is no overlap between any expanded deviation contours.