Interior Camera Active HVAC Modulation
An air ventilation arrangement for a motor vehicle includes means for detecting a location of a human hand in a space in proximity to an air vent of the motor vehicle. An actuator moves baffles of the air vent to thereby change a direction of air flow out of the air vent. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the detecting means and to the actuator. The electronic processor controls the actuator to move the baffles such that the air flows out of the air vent in a direction toward the detected location of the human hand.
1 . An air ventilation arrangement for a motor vehicle including an air vent, the arrangement comprising:
means for detecting a location of a human hand in a space in proximity to the air vent;
an actuator configured to move baffles of the air vent to thereby change a direction of air flow out of the air vent; and
an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the detecting means and to the actuator, the electronic processor being configured to control the actuator to move the baffles such that the air flows out of the air vent in a direction toward the detected location of the human hand.
2 . The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the detecting means comprises a camera.
3 . The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the detecting means comprises an electric field detector.
4 . The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the space is enclosed by imaginary boundaries.
5 . The arrangement of claim 4 wherein the space is crescent-shaped when viewed in a vertical direction.
6 . The arrangement of claim 4 wherein the electronic processor is configured to not control the actuator to move the baffles when the human hand is outside the boundaries.
7 . The arrangement of claim 4 wherein the space has a height of approximately between three inches and eighteen inches, and a width of approximately between one foot and three feet.
8 . A method of providing air ventilation in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
detecting a location of a human hand in a space adjacent to an air vent of the motor vehicle; and
move baffles of the air vent to thereby direct an air flow out of the air vent toward the detected location of the human hand.
9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the detecting step is performed by a camera.
10 . The method of claim 8 wherein the detecting step is performed by an electric field detector.
11 . The method of claim 8 wherein the space is enclosed by imaginary boundaries.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the space is crescent-shaped when viewed in a vertical direction.
13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the baffles are not moved when the human hand is outside the boundaries.
14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the space has a height of approximately between three inches and eighteen inches, and a width of approximately between one foot and three feet.
15 . An air ventilation arrangement for a motor vehicle including an air vent, the arrangement comprising:
a camera configured to capture images of a human hand in a space in proximity to the air vent;
an actuator configured to move baffles of the air vent to thereby change a direction of air flow out of the air vent; and
an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the camera and to the actuator, the electronic processor being configured to:
analyze the images captured by the camera to thereby determine a location of the human hand in three-dimensional space; and
control the actuator to move the baffles such that the air flows out of the air vent in a direction toward the determined location of the human hand.
16 . The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the space is enclosed by imaginary boundaries.
17 . The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the space is crescent-shaped when viewed in a vertical direction.
18 . The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the electronic processor is configured to not control the actuator to move the baffles when the human hand is outside the boundaries.
19 . The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the space has a height of approximately between three inches and eighteen inches.
20 . The arrangement of claim 19 wherein the space has a width of approximately between one foot and three feet.