ACTUATION DEVICE FOR A PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLE

Abstract

An actuation device for a public transport vehicle to avoid transmission of bacteria during the actuation. The device can be actuated by a predefined contactless actuation gesture, the device having a sensor unit that measures without contact and an evaluation unit, which is connected to the sensor unit. The sensor unit can generate a sensor signal transmit the sensor signal to the evaluation unit when an object, in particular a finger or a hand of a person, performs, within a detection space of the sensor unit, a movement at a distance from the actuation device, the signal being dependent on the movement sequence of the movement. The evaluation unit can check whether the movement is a predefined contactless actuation gesture, by which the actuation device can be actuated. If the movement is such an actuation gesture, a control signal is generated for a device of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An actuation device for a vehicle for public passenger transportation, the actuation device being configured to be actuated by a predetermined contactless actuation gesture, exhibiting a sensor unit measuring in contactless manner and also an evaluation unit connected to the sensor unit, the actuation device comprising: a sensor unit to generate a sensor signal and to communicate the sensor signal to an evaluation unit when an object is executing a motion at a distance from the actuation device within a detection space of the sensor unit, the signal being dependent on a sequence of movements of the motion; and the evaluation unit being configured to check, on a basis of the sensor signal, whether the motion executed by the object is a predetermined contactless actuation gesture by which the actuation device can be actuated, and, if the motion executed by the object is such an actuation gesture, to generate a control signal for a device of the vehicle to be controlled.

2. The actuation device of claim 1, comprising a button by which the actuation device can be actuated by exertion of pressure.

3. The actuation device of claim 1, wherein the detection space of the sensor unit extends up to a distance of at most 10 cm, or at most 7 cm, or at most 5 cm, from the actuation device.

4. The actuation device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises several juxtaposed sensors measuring in contactless manner, each of the sensors exhibiting its own detection zone, and the detection space of the sensor unit comprising the detection zones of the individual sensors.

5. The actuation device of claim 4, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to classify the motion of the object as a predetermined contactless actuation gesture by which the actuation device can be actuated even when not every one of the sensors of the sensor unit detects a passage of the object through its detection zone.

6. The actuation device of claim 4, wherein the sensors are juxtaposed in a form of a circle and the actuation device can be actuated via a circular or substantially circular actuation gesture.

7. The actuation device of claim 4, wherein the sensors of the sensor unit are infrared sensors.

8. The actuation device of claim 1, comprising a visualization device, connected to the sensor unit, for visualizing a portion of the motion of the object detected by the sensor unit.

9. The actuation device of claim 8, wherein the visualization device comprises a plurality of luminous devices, and the visualization device is configured to cause the individual luminous devices to light up as a function of the sequence of movements of the motion of the object.

10. The actuation device of claim 8, wherein at least one sensor, or only one sensor, of the sensor unit is assigned to each of the luminous devices, and the visualization device is configured to cause a respective luminous device to light up when the object is being guided through the detection zone of a sensor assigned to the respective luminous device.

11. A vehicle for public passenger transportation, comprising one or more actuation device of claim 1.

12. A method of using an actuation device of claim 1 in or on a sanitary room of a vehicle for public passenger transportation for activating a toilet flushing mechanism, for activating an outflow fitting of a washbasin, for activating a hand dryer, or for opening and or closing a door of the sanitary room.

13. A method of using an actuation device of claim 1 in a vehicle for public passenger transportation for activating a door drive for opening and or closing a vehicle entry door.

14. A method of using an actuation device of claim 1 in a vehicle for public passenger transportation for activating a flap drive for opening and or closing a trash-can flap.

15. A method of using an actuation device of claim 1 in a vehicle for public passenger transportation for signaling a stop-request.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The properties, features and advantages of the disclosure herein described above, and the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more distinctly intelligible in connection with the following description of an example embodiment of the disclosure herein which will be elucidated in more detail in connection with the figures. The example embodiment serves for elucidation of the disclosure herein and does not restrict the disclosure herein to the combinations of features specified therein, not even with respect to functional features. In addition, features of the example embodiment that are suitable for this purpose may also be considered explicitly in isolation and may be combined with any one of the claims.

[0054] Shown are:

[0055] FIG. 1 a sectional representation of a portion of a vehicle that is equipped with several actuation devices;

[0056] FIG. 2 one of the actuation devices of the vehicle in a front view;

[0057] FIG. 3 the actuation device from FIG. 2 and a hand of a person is executing a predetermined contactless actuation gesture for actuating the actuation device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a partial region of a vehicle 2 for public passenger transportation in a sectional representation. In the present example embodiment, the vehicle 2 is, in particular, a rail vehicle.

[0059] In FIG. 1, a seating region 4 with several passenger seats 6, an entry/exit region 8 with two vehicle entry doors 10 arranged opposite one another, and also a sanitary room 12 of the vehicle 2 are illustrated.

[0060] The sanitary room 12 includes a sliding door 14 via which the sanitary room 12 can be entered and exited. Located in the sanitary room 12 are a toilet 16, a washbasin 18 and also a hand dryer 20 with a hot-air blower. Opposite the sliding door 14 of the sanitary room 12 the vehicle 2 exhibits a trash can 22 with a trash-can flap 24.

[0061] Moreover, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f, each of which is capable of being actuated via a predetermined contactless actuation gesture. The actuation devices 26a-26f each include a sensor unit 28 (cf. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) and an internal evaluation unit 30 connected to the sensor unit 28. In addition, the respective actuation device 26a-26f is arranged on a device of the vehicle 2 that is capable of being controlled by the respective actuation device 26a-26f.

[0062] A first actuation device 26a of the plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f has been provided for contactless activation of a toilet flushing mechanism 32 of the toilet 16. A second actuation device 26b of the plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f has been provided for contactless activation of an outflow fitting 34 of the washbasin 18. Furthermore, a third actuation device 26c of the plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f has been provided for contactless activation of the hand dryer 20. Two further actuation devices 26d of the plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f, one of which is arranged internally in the sanitary room 12, and the other externally on the sanitary room 12, serve for contactless activation of a door drive of the sliding door 14 of the sanitary room 12. With the aid of the two last-mentioned actuation devices 26d, the sliding door 14 of the sanitary room 12 can be opened and closed in contactless manner.

[0063] Another actuation device 26e of the plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f serves for contactless actuation of a flap drive of the trash-can flap 24 of the aforementioned trash can 22. By this actuation device 26e, the trash-can flap 24 can be opened and closed in contactless manner.

[0064] In addition, four further actuation devices 26f of the plurality of actuation devices 26a-26f serve for contactless activation of a door drive of the respective vehicle entry door 10. With the aid of these two actuation devices 26f, the vehicle entry doors 10 can be opened and closed in contactless manner.

[0065] FIG. 2 shows, by way of example, one of the actuation devices 26a-26f of the vehicle 2 in a front view. The following remarks apply in analogous manner to the other actuation devices 26a-26f of the vehicle 2.

[0066] As mentioned previously, the actuation device is equipped with a sensor unit 28. The latter comprises several sensors 36 measuring in contactless manner, each of which exhibits a detection zone which extends up to a distance of 5 cm from the actuation device and within which the respective sensor 36 can detect a motion of an object in contactless manner. Together, the detection zones of the sensors 36 form a detection space of the sensor unit 28, within which the sensor unit 28 can detect a motion of an object in contactless manner.

[0067] The sensors 36 have been positioned to be equidistant from one another and juxtaposed in the form of a circle. In the present example embodiment, the sensors 36 are infrared sensors, but capacitive sensors, for example, may come into operation alternatively instead of infrared sensors.

[0068] Moreover, the actuation device includes a visualization device 38 which comprises several luminous devices 40. The luminous devices 40 may, for instance, each exhibit one or more light-emitting diodes as lighting. The luminous devices 40 take the form of ring segments and are arranged in such a manner that the luminous devices 40 together form a ring.

[0069] Precisely one luminous device 40 of the visualization device 38 has been assigned to each of the sensors 36 of the sensor unit 28. In the present example embodiment, the actuation device exhibits twelve sensors 36 and twelve luminous devices 40, it being possible, in principle, for a higher or lower number of sensors 36 and a higher or lower number of luminous devices 40 to have been provided.

[0070] With the aid of its sensor unit 28 and its evaluation unit 30 (not represented in FIG. 2), the actuation device is capable of being actuated by a predetermined contactless actuation gesture. In the present example embodiment, the actuation device is capable of being actuated via a circular actuation gesture which can optionally be executed in clockwise or counterclockwise manner, in which connection the starting-point of the actuation gesture is capable of being chosen freely.

[0071] The sensor unit 28 has been set up to generate a sensor signal and to communicate the sensor signal to the evaluation unit 30 of the actuation device when an object—such as, for example, a finger of a person—is executing a motion at a distance from the actuation device within a detection space of the sensor unit 28. The signal is dependent on the sequence of movements of the motion.

[0072] The evaluation unit 30 has been set up to check, on the basis of the sensor signal, whether the motion executed by the object is the predetermined contactless actuation gesture by which the actuation device is capable of being actuated.

[0073] If the motion executed by the object corresponds to the predetermined contactless actuation gesture by which the actuation device is capable of being actuated, the evaluation unit 30 generates a control signal for the device of the vehicle 2 to be controlled by the actuation device, and communicates the control signal to the device.

[0074] In addition, the actuation device exhibits a circular button 42, by which the actuation device is capable of being actuated by exertion of pressure by a finger or a palm of the hand (instead of by a contactless actuation gesture). In the present case, the button 42 is surrounded both by the luminous devices 40 of the visualization device 38 and by the sensors 36 of the sensor unit 28.

[0075] The button 42 is provided with a raised pictogram 44 which renders the function of the actuation device graphically. In FIG. 2, the pictogram 44 comprises, by way of example, an arrowhead directed to the left and an arrowhead directed to the right, by which it is symbolized that the actuation device from FIG. 2 serves for opening and/or closing a door. If the actuation device serves for another purpose, its button 42 accordingly exhibits a different pictogram 44.

[0076] FIG. 3 shows the actuation device from FIG. 2 and also a hand 46 of a person.

[0077] If the person moves a finger 48 of the hand 46 at a distance from the actuation device through the detection zone of the respective sensor 36, a passage of the finger 48 through the detection zone is detected by the respective sensor 36, and a signal is generated. The sensor signal generated by the sensor unit 28, on the basis of which the evaluation unit 30 checks whether the motion of the finger 48 corresponds to the predetermined contactless actuation gesture, is based on the signals generated by the individual sensors 36.

[0078] In FIG. 3, those sensors 36 through the detection zones of which the finger 48 has already been guided by the person have been represented in hatched manner. In order to visualize the portion of the motion of the finger 48 detected hitherto by the sensor unit 28, the visualization device 38 causes those of its luminous devices 40 which have been assigned to these sensors 36 to glow. In FIG. 3, those luminous devices 40 which glow have been represented in hatched manner.

[0079] If the finger 48 is being guided through the detection zones of all the sensors 36 of the sensor unit 28, all the luminous devices 40 of the visualization device 38 light up, so that the person is given a visual indication that the contactless gesture executed by the person was successful—that is to say, the contactless gesture executed by the person corresponds to the predetermined contactless actuation gesture by which the actuation device is capable of being actuated.

[0080] Where appropriate, the evaluation unit 30 may have been set up to classify the motion of the finger 48 as a predetermined contactless actuation gesture by which the actuation device is capable of being actuated even when not every one of the sensors 36 of the sensor unit 28 detects a passage of the object through its detection zone, for example because one of the sensors 36 is defective or the person's finger 48 has (unintentionally) not passed over one or more sensors 36.

[0081] Although the disclosure herein has been illustrated and described in detail by the preferred example embodiment, the disclosure herein is not restricted by the disclosed example, and other variations can be derived therefrom without departing from the scope of protection of the disclosure herein.

[0082] The subject matter disclosed herein can be implemented in or with software in combination with hardware and/or firmware. For example, the subject matter described herein can be implemented in software executed by a processor or processing unit. In one exemplary implementation, the subject matter described herein can be implemented using a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps. Exemplary computer readable mediums suitable for implementing the subject matter described herein include non-transitory devices, such as disk memory devices, chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application specific integrated circuits. In addition, a computer readable medium that implements the subject matter described herein can be located on a single device or computing platform or can be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms.

[0083] While at least one example embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the example embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a”, “an” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.