Light-based touch controls on a steering wheel and dashboard

Abstract

An adjustable mirror, including a mirror within a fixed housing, whereby at least one angle of the mirror relative to the housing is adjustable, electrical equipment within the housing and attached to the rear of the mirror, operative to adjust the at least one angle of the mirror, a rounded surface projecting toward an operator of the mirror, and a sensor, connected to the electrical equipment, operative to detect the operator's hand following the rounded surface, and to instruct the electrical equipment to adjust the at least one angle of the mirror in response to the detection.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . An adjustable mirror, comprising:
 a mirror within a fixed housing, whereby at least one angle of the mirror relative to the housing is adjustable;   electrical equipment within the housing and attached to the rear of said mirror, operative to adjust the at least one angle of said mirror;   a rounded surface projecting toward an operator of said mirror; and   a sensor, connected to said electrical equipment, operative to detect the operator's hand following said rounded surface, and to instruct said electrical equipment to adjust the at least one angle of said mirror in response to the detection.   
     
     
         23 . The adjustable mirror of  claim 22 , wherein in response to said sensor detecting the operator's hand rotating as a tangent around said rounded surface, said sensor instructs said electrical equipment to rotate said mirror in the same direction as the operator's hand. 
     
     
         24 . The adjustable mirror of  claim 22 , wherein said mirror is a vehicle side-view mirror and said rounded surface is a portion of a steering wheel for the vehicle. 
     
     
         25 . The adjustable mirror of  claim 24 , wherein said rounded surface is the hub of the steering wheel. 
     
     
         26 . An adjustable mirror, comprising:
 a mirror within a fixed housing, whereby at least one angle of the mirror relative to the housing is adjustable;   electrical equipment within the housing and attached to the rear of said mirror, operative to adjust the at least one angle of said mirror;   a rounded surface projecting toward an operator of said mirror;   a sensor operative to generate outputs for detecting the operator's hand following said rounded surface;   a processor that receives the sensor outputs and that controls said electrical equipment;   memory; and   a program stored in said memory and configured to be executed by said processor, the program including instructions causing said processor to control said electrical equipment to adjust the at least one angle of said mirror in response to the sensor outputs.   
     
     
         27 . The adjustable mirror of  claim 26 , wherein said program includes instructions whereby in response to the sensor outputs indicating that the operator's hand is rotating as a tangent around said rounded surface, said processor causes said electrical equipment to rotate said mirror in the same direction as the operator's hand. 
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause adjustment of orientation of a mirror in response to detection signals, wherein the processor is connected to a sensor and connected to electrical equipment, wherein the sensor is operable to output detection signals indicating movement of a hand along a rounded surface projecting toward the hand, and wherein the electrical equipment is operable to adjust at least one angle of the mirror relative to a fixed housing of the mirror. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions whereby in response to sensor detection signals indicating that the hand is rotating as a tangent around the rounded surface, the processor causes the mirror to be rotated in the same direction as the hand.