CONTACTLESS TOUCH DEVICE AND METHOD BASED ON GESTURE DETECTION

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for detecting contactless touch by means of gesture detection, comprising the steps of installing at least one antenna (101) which is configured for receiving the signal of an electromagnetic field generated around same; and wherein said at least one antenna (101) is connected with a controlled electromagnetic field sensor (100) configured for generating an electric and magnetic field around said antenna (101); continuously measuring the variations in the electric and magnetic field generated around the antenna (101); detecting a gesture performed in the proximity of the antenna (101) corresponding and proportional to a disruption in the electric and magnetic field generated around the antenna (101); and activating an actuator (105) depending on the detected gesture.

Claims

1. A method for detecting contactless touch by means of gesture detection, comprising the steps of: installing at least one antenna (101) which is configured for receiving the signal of an electromagnetic field generated around same; and wherein said at least one antenna (101) is connected with a controlled electromagnetic field sensor (100) configured for generating an electromagnetic field around said antenna (101); continuously measuring variations in the electric and magnetic field generated around the antenna (101); detecting a gesture performed at a distance of less than one meter from the antenna (101), corresponding and proportional to a disruption in the electromagnetic field generated around the antenna (101); and activating an actuator (105) depending on the detected gesture.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises adhering the substrate or support (200) integrating the sensor (100), at least one antenna (101), at least one actuator (105), and at least one supply battery (205) on a button or set of buttons.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises integrating the substrate or support (200) containing the sensor (100), at least one actuator (105), and power supply means (205) in a button or set of buttons, the at least one antenna (101) being arranged outside the substrate or support (200).

4. A device for detecting contactless touch by means of gesture detection, comprising: an antenna (101) configured for receiving the signal of an electromagnetic field generated around same; and wherein said at least one antenna (101) is connected with a controlled electromagnetic field sensor (100) configured for generating an electromagnetic field around said antenna (101) wherein the controlled electromagnetic field sensor (100) comprises at least one oscillator (102) connected with the antenna (101), such that the signal from the antenna (101) is feedback to the input of the oscillator (102); and wherein the input signal of the oscillator (102) is acquired by a processor (104) through a signal conditioning circuit (103); and characterized in that the processor (104) comprises a memory or memories storing a program or programs made up of instructions which, when run by the processor (104), cause the sensor (100) to: (a) continuously acquire the signal generated around the at least one antenna (101); (b) detect a gesture performed in the proximity of the antenna (101) corresponding and proportional to a disruption in the electromagnetic field generated around the antenna (101); and (c) activate an actuator (105) depending on the detected gesture.

5. The device according to claim 1, comprising a substrate or support (200) which is configured for being placed on a button or set of buttons (205) and integrating the sensor (100), at least one antenna (101), at least one actuator (105), and at least one supply battery (205).

6. The device according to claim 1, which comprises installing a substrate or support (200) in a button or set of buttons, wherein said substrate or support contains the sensor (100), at least one actuator (105), and power supply means (205), the at least one antenna (101) being arranged outside the support (200).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] A series of drawings and diagrams which help to better understand the invention and are expressly related to an embodiment of said invention, taken as a non-limiting example thereof, are very briefly described below.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the CEMF sensor implemented in the device of the invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the device of the invention in two operating sequences (FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The invention is based on the implementation of the CEMF technology described in documents EP2980609 and/or EP3553477 and the indications of which are included herein by reference. Therefore, as can be observed in FIG. 1, the CEMF sensor 100 is based on an antenna 101 which is connected with an oscillator circuit 102. The particularity of the CEMF sensor is that both the output and the input of the oscillator 102 are connected with the same antenna 101, such that the signal from the antenna 101 is feedback to the oscillator 102 itself. In other words, the emission of the signal of the oscillator 102 is proportional to the disruptions detected in the antenna 101, given that said disruptions are configured as the input of the oscillator circuit 102.

[0024] Moreover, the same input signal of the oscillator 102 is acquired by a processor 104 through a signal conditioning circuit converter 103. The processor 104 further comprises a memory or memories storing a program or programs made up of instructions which, when run by the processor 104, cause the CEMF sensor 100 to: (a) continuously acquire the signal generated around the antenna 101; (b) establish a behavioral pattern corresponding with the acquired signal, and (c) send an activation signal to the actuator 105 depending on the behavioral pattern corresponding with the signal acquired through the antenna 101.

[0025] One of the virtues of the present invention is that it is capable of emitting the electromagnetic field in a controlled manner by means of an active shield 106 by means of a low-impedance circuit, such that the electromagnetic field can be directed, through the only conductive element forming the emitter-receiver antenna, towards a zone with a certain influence and can be configured for each specific application, as will be described herein below.

[0026] As a result of this structure, the apparatus is capable of distinguishing, depending on the magnitude of the change, that is, on the generated disruption, the gesture a person performs (for example, it can identify the hand gesture for opening or closing a door, or detect the movement of the hand to the right side, which can mean “switching ON” or to the left side for “switching OFF”), and distinguishing said signal from the signal generated by an animal or any other object, given that the invention is based on the capacity of the apparatus to measure variations of the electromagnetic field existing around each of the antennas to which the apparatus is connected, since the apparatus can be connected with several antennas, with the particularity that each of the antennas acts independently with respect to the others, i.e., each antenna has the same capacities and functionalities in disruption detection, i.e., it emits a controlled electromagnetic field and in turn detects the disruptions of that field.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the main elements forming the physical structure of the device of the invention. The device consists essentially of the sensor 100 described in FIG. 1 integrated in a support 200 comprising an upper casing 201 and a lower casing 203 which furthermore has a lower surface 204 which can be adhesive in a practical embodiment. The support 200 further comprises a switch 202 that can be operated in the case of an emergency. The actuator 105 itself, the power supply means 205, and the sensor 100, or at least the antenna 101, can be found inside the body of the switch 202.

[0028] As mentioned above, the device comprises two main embodiments depending on the intended use thereof. Therefore, for example, in a first embodiment the support 200 can be installed on a button or set of buttons already in operation. In this case, the actuator or actuators 105 can be an electric servomotor with a moving element that can move between an extended position (FIG. 2b) and a retracted position (FIG. 2a), such that when the sensor 100 detects the gesture of “pressing” the actuator 105, it operates the electric servomotor and the moving element moves to literally press the button on which it is located. The power supply means 205 in this case are an electric battery, preferably a button-type battery or the like.

[0029] Moreover, in a second embodiment, the substrate 200 is a support integrating the sensor 100, the actuator 105, and the power supply 205 is a current adaptor connected with the power supply of the device in which it is installed. Furthermore, in this case, the antenna 101 may or may not be integrated in the support 200, usually being arranged outside it. In this embodiment, the actuator 105 is an output signal conditioning circuit of the processor 104 of the sensor 100 configured for activating the relevant signal or signals.

[0030] As indicated, each sensor 100 can control at least one antenna 101 and at least one actuator 105, without an apparent limit to the number thereof. Therefore, for example, in a set of x buttons, there would be y antennas 101 and z actuators 105 connected with a single sensor 100, such that, by knowing which antenna 101 has detected which disruption, the required actuator 105 could be activated with precision.