DE102015009805A1 - Device and method for operating an electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

An operating device of an electronic household appliance (10, 12) has at least one transmitter (22a, 22b) for transmitting a transmission signal (S) and at least one receiver (24) for receiving one of the at least one transmitter and an object (18) a gesture monitoring room (26) reflected received signal (R) and a control device (16) for driving the at least one transmitter (22a, 22b) for transmitting the transmission signal (S), detecting the reception signal (R) received from the at least one receiver (24) Evaluating the detected received signal (R) to determine a position or gesture of the object (18) in the gesture monitoring room (26) and driving the device (10, 12) in response to the determined position or gesture of the object (18). In addition, at least one further transmitter (28) transmits another transmit signal (Z) to a sub-monitoring room (30) outside of the gesture monitoring room (26) and is transmitted by the at least one receiver (24) to the at least one further transmitter Foreign object (20) in the sub-monitoring room (30) reflected received further receive signal (R '). The detected additional received signal (R ') from the sub-monitoring room (30) and the detected received signal (R) from the gesture monitoring room (26) can be distinguished by the control device (16), which then the device (10, 12) in response to a Determines the result of this distinction.

Description

The present invention relates to a device and a method for operating an electronic device, in particular an electronic household appliance, by means of gesture detection.

It is for example from the DE 10 2013 009 168 A1 It is known to control electronic household appliances by means of gestures of a hand of a user, which are detected and recognized by a corresponding gesture detection device of the operating device of the household appliance. The gesture detection devices have for this purpose, for example, optical sensors or cameras.

One problem with such gesture detection devices is the misrecognition of gestures, i. H. in a reliable distinction between an actual gesture of a user and a misinterpretation of interference signals or foreign objects by the control and evaluation device. For example, with cooker hoods in the cooking area, there may be errors due to steaming or movement of a user during the cooking process. If, for example, water vapor rises from a hob to a gesture sensor of an extractor hood, then the cloud of steam can erroneously be recognized as a gesture.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved device and an improved method for operating an electronic device by means of gesture detection, with which errors in the gesture recognition can be avoided more reliable than conventional systems.

This object is achieved by the teaching of the independent claims. Particularly preferred embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The device according to the invention for operating an electronic device has at least one transmitter for transmitting a transmission signal and at least one receiver for receiving a received signal emitted by the at least one transmitter and reflected at an object in a gesture monitoring room and a control device configured to drive the at least one transmitter for transmission of the transmission signal, detecting the reception signal received by the at least one receiver, evaluating the detected reception signal to determine a position or gesture of the object in the gesture monitoring room and driving the device depending on the determined position or gesture of the object. According to the invention, at least one further transmitter is provided for emitting a further transmission signal, which is arranged and configured such that the at least one receiver can detect a further received signal emitted by the at least one further transmitter and reflected at a foreign object in a secondary monitoring room outside the gesture monitoring room , In addition, the control device is designed to distinguish a detected further received signal from a detected received signal and to control the device as a function of a result of this differentiation.

In the method according to the invention for operating an electronic device, a transmission signal is emitted by at least one transmitter; At least one receiver receives from at least one receiver a received signal transmitted by the at least one transmitter and reflected at an object in a gesture monitoring room; the received signal is evaluated to determine a position or gesture of the object in the gesture monitoring room; and the device is driven depending on the particular position or gesture of the object. According to the invention, a further transmission signal is additionally emitted by at least one further transmitter into a sub-monitoring room outside of the gesture monitoring room and will receive from the at least one receiver a further received signal transmitted by this at least one further transmitter and reflected at a foreign object in the sub-monitoring room. In addition, according to the invention, a detected further received signal from the sub-monitoring room is distinguished from a detected received signal from the gesture-monitoring room, and the device is then activated as a function of a result of this differentiation.

According to the invention, in addition to the actual gesture detection device having at least one transmitter, it is proposed to provide at least one further transmitter and to configure it in relation to the gesture detection device such that the at least one receiver of the gesture detection device transmits both transmission signals of the at least one transmitter and an object from the gesture monitoring space be reflected as received signals and other transmission signals of the at least one further transmitter, which are reflected by a foreign object from the sub-monitoring room, can receive as additional received signals. The invention is based on the recognition that a gesture detection device usually receives received signals from foreign objects that are at least temporarily present in the area outside of the gesture monitoring room. Through additional monitoring Therefore, such foreign objects can be detected in a simple manner and recognized as such by a suitable secondary monitoring room outside the gesture monitoring room by the at least one further transmitter. This preferably also applies if the foreign objects are previously or subsequently also in the gesture monitoring room. By distinguishing the received signals from the further received signals, it is thus possible to detect whether a user's gesture control is present by executing a gesture in the gesture monitoring room or whether there is a movement of a foreign object that could be erroneously interpreted as a gesture.

In contrast to conventional systems, which in addition to a gesture detection device with transmitters and receivers, for example, a cooker or smoke detection device is provided with transmitters and receivers, the receiver of the gesture detection device is also used in the present invention for foreign object detection. By saving own receivers for foreign object detection, the entire operating device can be realized in a more compact and cost-effective manner.

The term gestures in this context is intended to designate any type of movement or combination of movements that a user can perform with his or her hand or an object. Simple gestures include, for example, wiping motions, up and down motions, approaches, and the like; More complex gestures include, for example, circular motions, rotational movements, tilting motions, and the like.

The gesture monitoring room is a space area in which a user's gestures can be detected and recognized as such. The gesture monitoring space is generally defined by the arrangement of the transmitters and receivers and the angles of emission or angles of incidence. The gesture monitoring room may preferably be marked for the user, preferably visually, so that he can reliably recognize in which room area he must make a gesture in order to operate the device.

An object in this context is any object that is capable of at least partially reflecting transmission signals of the at least one transmitter. Suitable objects are typically a user's hand or finger or an item held by a user.

In this context, a foreign object should be understood as any object with which no gesture control should be performed at the time in question. The foreign objects include, for example, cooking utensils that are moved during a cooking process, rising cooking fumes, vapors, and the like, but also the above-mentioned objects that are basically suitable for gesture control but are not currently or not intentionally used for gesture control.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control device controls the at least one transmitter and the at least one further transmitter in such a way that the at least one further transmitter transmits the further transmission signal with a time offset to the transmission signal of the at least one transmitter. By this timing of the transmission signals and other transmission signals and the received signals and other received signals are clocked accordingly, so that can be differentiated in a simple manner between the received signals and the other received signals.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one transmitter transmits a transmission signal having a first predetermined frequency and the at least one further transmitter transmits another transmission signal having a second predetermined frequency, which differs from the first predetermined frequency. The at least one receiver is then preferably designed for the frequency-resolved detection of received signals. Ie. the receiver detects not only the presence of a received signal or another received signal, but also its frequency or frequency range. Due to these different frequencies of the transmission signals and further transmission signals, the reception signals and further reception signals are correspondingly different, so that it is possible to differentiate in a simple manner between the reception signals and the further reception signals.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the received signal detected by the at least one receiver is calibrated by the control device with the aid of the further received signal. In this way, it is possible, for example, to detect and detect a gesture despite rising steam in the gesture monitoring room, since the noise signals can be eliminated by the steam in the gesture detection apparatus.

Preferably, the at least one further transmitter transmits another transmission signal having a signal strength which is greater than a signal strength of the transmission signal of the at least one transmitter.

Preferably, the at least one further transmitter transmits another transmission signal with a Beam angle, which is greater than a radiation angle of the transmission signal of the at least one transmitter.

The two aforementioned measures are advantageous, singly or in combination, to detect foreign objects in sub-surveillance rooms farther from the receiver than the gesture-monitoring room or larger than the gesture-monitoring room.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one further transmitter is spaced apart by a predetermined distance of at least 10 cm, preferably at least 15 cm, to the at least one transmitter. As a result of this spatial separation of the at least one further transmitter from the transmitters and receivers of the gesture detection device, it can be prevented that a gesture of a user is also affected by the sub-monitoring space and then erroneously recognized as a foreign object.

The at least one transmitter preferably emits infrared transmission signals. The at least one further transmitter also preferably emits infrared transmission signals.

In the electronic device that can be controlled by the above-described operating device of the invention, it is preferably an electronic household appliance, in particular an electronic household appliance in the cooking area, such as a cooker hood or a hob.

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. In it show, mostly schematically:

1 a perspective view of an extractor hood with a conventional operating device (in the upper part) and waveforms of transmit and receive signals of this conventional operating device (in the lower part);

2 a perspective view of an extractor hood with an operating device according to an embodiment of the invention;

3 a representation for illustrating the operation of an operating device according to a first embodiment of the invention (in the left part) and waveforms of transmitting and receiving signals of this operating device (in the right part), each in a first operating state;

4 a representation for illustrating the operation of the operating device of 3 (in the left part) and waveforms of transmit and receive signals of this operating device (in the right part), each in a second operating state; and

5 a representation for illustrating the operation of an operating device according to a second embodiment of the invention (in the left part) and waveforms of transmit and receive signals of this operating device (in the right part), respectively in an operating condition accordingly 3 ,

Based on 1 First, the construction and operation of a conventional operating device with a gesture detection device will be explained in more detail in order to better illustrate the differences and advantages of an operating device according to the invention.

An extractor hood 10 is located above a hob (not shown). The extractor hood 10 includes a fan (not shown) for sucking cooking fumes, etc. from the hob, which is controlled by a control device. Cooking fumes in this context should include all types of substances that arise during cooking and can be contained in the exhaust air of a cooking appliance on the hob accordingly. These include in particular water vapor (often referred to as vapor), smoke, fog, particles and the like. At the extractor hood 10 can control elements for manual operation of the extractor hood 10 and a cooking datalogger for automatic or semi-automatic operation of the extractor hood 10 be provided in 1 each not shown.

As in 1 is shown on the hood 10 a gesture detection device is provided which is part of an operating device for the extractor hood 10 and / or the hob is. This gesture detection device is intended to provide gestures used by a user in a gesture monitoring room 26 below the extractor hood 10 with an object 18 such as being executed by his hand, capture and recognize. The user can use the cooker hood 10 and / or operate the hob by gestures or control.

The gesture detection device usually has two infrared transmitters for this purpose 22a . 22b , an infrared receiver 24 as well as the already mentioned control device. The two transmitters 22a . 22b transmit temporally offset, for example, in the kHz range impulsive infrared transmission signals S from. The signal curves a refer to the Transmission signals of the first transmitter 22a and the signal curves b refer to the transmission signals S of the second transmitter 22b ,

The gesture monitoring room 26 is defined by the signal strengths Is of the transmission signals, the radiation angle of the transmitter 22a . 22b , the sensitivity of the receiver 24 and the detection angle of the receiver 24 , Kick an object 18 into the gesture monitoring room 26 a, it reflects the transmission signal S, in the case of 1 the transmission signal S of the first transmitter 22a , The reflected received signal R can then be received by the receiver 24 , which is designed for example as a photodiode or phototransistor, is received and passed to the control device for evaluation.

Does the object move? 18 starting from the in 1 shown situation from left to right, then the transmission signal S of the second transmitter 22b reflected and the corresponding received signal R from the receiver 24 detected. Due to the timing of the transmission signals S and the reception signals R, which are also offset in time, the control device can detect, for example, a swipe gesture from left to right by means of a suitable algorithm.

With a suitable algorithm, the control device can optionally filter out or compensate for static disturbances after a certain time. However, a sudden change in the cooking environment, such as lifting a lid from a cooking vessel and, as a result, rising steam, is often recognized as a gesture by the conventional operator. This may possibly lead to an unwanted or incorrect activation of the device.

2 shows the structure of an operating device according to an embodiment of the invention.

The operating device includes similar to the conventional operating device of 1 a gesture detection device with two infrared transmitters 22a . 22b and an infrared receiver 24 in the front of an extractor hood 10 are attached. transmitter 22a . 22b and receiver 24 are with a control device 16 connected. The control device 16 controls the transmitters 22a . 22b timed to, receives from the receiver 24 detected receive signals R and evaluates these, and controls the hood 10 and / or a hob under the hood 10 depending on the determined position or gesture of an object 18 in a gesture monitoring room 26 under the extractor hood 10 at.

In contrast to conventional control devices with gesture control, there is also an additional infrared transmitter 28 in the middle area of the extractor hood 10 , This further transmitter 28 defines a supervisor room 30 below the extractor hood 10 , The signal strength is that of the other transmitter 28 emitted further transmission signals Z preferably greater than the signal strength Is of the transmitters 22a . 22b the gesture detection device emitted transmission signals S. In addition, the other transmitter 28 preferably a larger radiation angle than the transmitter 22a . 22b ,

Due to the spatial separation of the other transmitter 28 to the broadcasters 22a . 22b the gesture detection device transmits the further transmitter 28 the wide transmission signals Z not in the gesture monitoring room 26 into it. The secondary monitoring room is used to record foreign objects 20 such as steam below the cooker hood 10 that do not represent a gesture and therefore should not be mistakenly recognized as a gesture.

Preferably, the further transmitter 28 from the broadcasters 22a . 22b the gesture detection device farther than a typical hand size, ie, spaced at least about 15 cm, for example.

Referring to 3 and 4 a first embodiment of the operating device according to the invention is explained in detail.

The gesture monitoring room 26 is due to the characteristics of the transmitter 22a . 22b and the recipient 24 specified. As in the signal strength / time diagram of 3 illustrates, the transmission signals S and the other transmission signals Z of the transmitter 22a . 22b and the other station 28 all sent out in time with each other.

As long as there is no reflective object 18 in the gesture monitoring room 26 is located, of the transmission signals S, the transmitter 22a . 22b no received signal R to the receiver 24 reflected. It is therefore by the controller 16 no gesture in the gesture monitoring room 26 recognized.

Is for example a cooking vessel 14 on the hob 12 from which the lid is taken down, steam rises. This steam forms a foreign object 20 within the meaning of the invention, that of the control device 16 not to be misinterpreted as a gesture.

The in the secondary surveillance room 30 under the extractor hood 10 ascending steam 20 reflects the further transmission signal Z of the further transmitter 28 at least partially. The recipient 24 the gesture detection device detects a corresponding further received signal R '. Due to the timing of the transmission signals S and further transmission signals Z (compare upper signal strength / time diagram in FIG 3 ), the received signals R and other received signals R 'are temporally offset from each other, so that the control device 16 on the basis of the clock of the detected (further) received signals R, R '(compare lower signal strength / time diagram in FIG 3 ) can determine that in the operating state of 3 there is another received signal R 'in the sub-monitoring room 30 from a foreign object 20 has been reflected.

The steam rises 20 continue on to the gesture monitoring room 26 , all the transmission signals S and further transmission signals Z are reflected and received by the receiver 24 (see lower signal strength / time diagram in 4 ). Due to the further received signals R 'and possibly also due to the history, the control device 16 in such a case, realize that is a foreign object 20 in the gesture monitoring room 26 located. As a result, a misinterpretation of the foreign object 20 as a gesture of an object 18 be avoided.

In a preferred embodiment, the control device 16 Calibrate the gesture detection device by "calculating out" further received signals R '. In this way, there is a possibility, despite being in the gesture monitoring room 26 rising steam 20 a gesture of an object 18 in the gesture monitoring room 26 to capture and recognize as such.

Referring to 5 Now, a second embodiment of the operating device according to the invention will be explained in more detail.

In this embodiment, the further transmitter transmits 28 the further transmission signals Z not only offset in time to the transmission signals S of the transmitter 22a . 22b the gesture detection device, but the other transmission signals Z also have a different frequency / a different frequency range than the transmission signals S of the transmitter 22a . 22b , In this way, the other received signals R 'have a different frequency / a different frequency range than the received signals R. The differentiation between received signals R and other received signals R' can be made even more reliable.

The recipient 24 In this case, the gesture-detecting device is designed for the frequency-resolved detection of (further) received signals R, R '.

While in the embodiment of 5 the other transmitter 28 further transmission signals Z with a time offset and with other frequencies to the transmission signals S of the transmitter 22a . 22b emits, in a further embodiment (not shown) can be dispensed with the timing between transmission signals S and other transmission signals Z, so that the (further) transmission signals S, Z and thus the (further) received signals R, R 'alone in the Frequency / in the frequency range differ.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

electronic household appliance, e.g. B. Extractor hood

12

electronic household appliance, e.g. B. hob

14

cooking vessel

16

control device

18

Object, z. B. Hand

20

Foreign object, z. B. steam

22a

transmitter

22b

transmitter

24

receiver

26

Gesture monitoring room

28

another transmitter

30

In addition to monitoring room

Ir

Signal strength of the received signals

is

Signal strength of the transmission signals

R

receive signal

R '

further received signal

S

send signal

t

Time

Z

further transmission signal

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102013009168 A1 [0002]

Claims (12)

Device for operating an electronic device ( 10 . 12 ), in particular an electronic household appliance, comprising: at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) for transmitting a transmission signal (S) and at least one receiver ( 24 ) for receiving a signal transmitted by the at least one transmitter and at an object ( 18 ) in a gesture monitoring room ( 26 ) reflected received signal (R); and a control device ( 16 ), which is designed to control the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) for transmitting the transmission signal (S), detecting the signal from the at least one receiver ( 24 Received signal (R), evaluating the detected received signal (R) for determining a position or gesture of the object ( 18 ) in the gesture monitoring room ( 26 ), and controlling the device ( 10 . 12 ) depending on the particular position or gesture of the object ( 18 ), characterized in that at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) is provided for transmitting a further transmission signal (Z), wherein the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) is arranged and configured such that the at least one receiver ( 24 ) emitted by the at least one further transmitter and at a foreign object ( 20 ) in a secondary surveillance room ( 30 ) outside the gesture monitoring room ( 26 ) can detect further received signal (R ') reflected; and the control device ( 16 ) is configured to distinguish a detected further received signal (R ') from a detected received signal (R) and the device ( 10 . 12 ) depending on a result of this distinction. Device according to Claim 1, in which the control device ( 16 ) the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) and the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) such that the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) the further transmission signal (Z) offset in time to the transmission signal (S) of the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ). Device according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) emits a transmission signal (S) at a first predetermined frequency; the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) emits a further transmission signal (Z) at a second predetermined frequency different from the first predetermined frequency; and the at least one receiver ( 24 ) is configured for frequency-resolved detection of received signals (R, R '). Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control device ( 16 ) is adapted to the from the at least one receiver ( 24 ) to calibrate received signal (R) by means of the further received signal (R '). Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) emits a further transmission signal (Z) with a signal strength that is greater than a signal strength of the transmission signal (S) of the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ). Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) emits a further transmission signal (Z) with an emission angle which is greater than an emission angle of the transmission signal (S) of the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ). Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) by a predetermined distance of at least 10 cm, preferably at least 15 cm, to the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) is arranged at a distance. Method for operating an electronic device ( 10 . 12 ), in particular an electronic household appliance, in which at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) a transmission signal (S) is transmitted; from at least one recipient ( 24 ) transmitted by the at least one transmitter and on an object ( 18 ) in a gesture monitoring room ( 26 ) received received signal (R) is received; the received signal (R) is evaluated to a position or gesture of the object ( 18 ) in the gesture monitoring room ( 26 ) to determine; and the device ( 10 . 12 ) depending on the particular position or gesture of the object ( 18 ), characterized in that at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) a further transmission signal (Z) in a supervisor room ( 30 ) outside the gesture monitoring room ( 26 ) is sent out; from the at least one receiver ( 24 ) emitted by the at least one further transmitter and at a foreign object ( 20 ) in the secondary monitoring room ( 30 ) received another received signal (R ') is received; and a detected further received signal (R ') from the secondary monitoring room ( 30 ) from a detected received signal (R) from the gesture monitoring room ( 26 ) and the device ( 10 . 12 ) is driven depending on a result of this discrimination. Method according to Claim 8, in which the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) the other Transmission signal (Z) offset in time to the transmission signal (S) of the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ). Method according to Claim 8 or 9, in which the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ) emits a transmission signal (S) at a first predetermined frequency; the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) emits a further transmission signal (Z) at a second predetermined frequency different from the first predetermined frequency; and the at least one receiver ( 24 ) detects the received signals (R, R ') with frequency resolution. Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, in which that of the at least one receiver ( 24 Received signal (R) with the aid of the further received signal (R ') is calibrated. Method according to one of Claims 8 to 11, in which the at least one further transmitter ( 28 ) a further transmission signal (Z) having a signal strength which is greater than a signal strength of the transmission signal (S) of the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ), and / or an emission angle that is greater than an emission angle of the transmission signal (S) of the at least one transmitter ( 22a . 22b ).

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