Voice biometric pre-purchase enrollment for autonomous vehicles

• US 10,464,530 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Falkson, Lisa E., Chang, Annie Jui Shan, Liang, Anthony Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jakieda R
• Application Number:
  US15/407,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20180201226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 704275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating a user of a vehicle are described. In one embodiment, a user profile is associated with a user of a vehicle. The user profile is used to compare a sample of the voice of the user with a database onboard the vehicle as well as a database stored on a network connected server in communication with the vehicle. A user profile may be associated with a number of vehicles. Users may have a number of levels of permissions associated with a number of different vehicles. A user may be enabled to access a number of vehicle features by providing a voice sample via microphones in and around the vehicle. A voiceprint associated with the user may be improved based upon audio collected by microphones in and around the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an array of microphones to detect a user'"'"'s voice from within the vehicle;

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor and comprising computer readable program code that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a voice command from a user via the array of microphones;

determining a location of the user based on the received voice command;

transmitting the voice command to an external server via a network connection;

generating a first voice biometric match score based on the voice command by processing the voice command;

receiving a second voice biometric match score based on the voice command from the external server via the network connection;

comparing the first voice biometric match score based on the voice command with the second voice biometric match score based on the voice command;

determining a user identity based on the comparison of the first voice biometric match score based on the voice command with the second voice biometric match score based on the voice command;

based on the determined user identity, associating a user identification with the voice command;

determining a user permission associated with the identified user based on the associated user identification and the determined location of the user;

allowing access to one or more vehicle features based on the user permission, wherein the one or more vehicle features are associated with the determined user identity and the determined location of the user; and

after allowing access to the one or more vehicle features, activating a vehicle function based on the voice command.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the voice command originates inside the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first voice biometric match score is generated based at least in part on a voiceprint stored in the memory and the second voice biometric score is based at least in part of a voiceprint stored in the external server.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the voiceprint was sent to the vehicle from the external server prior to receiving the voice command.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user permission is less than full control of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a voiceprint version identification and a user identification associated with the voiceprint version identification to the external server.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location comprises an indication of a particular seat of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein determining a location of the user comprises comparing a plurality of audio reception levels associated with the array of microphones.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first voice biometric score is based on a voiceprint created by a user remote from the vehicle.

10. A computer implemented method of enabling vehicle features based on a voice of a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a vehicle, a voice command from a user via an array of microphones adapted to detect a user'"'"'s voice from within the vehicle;

determining, by the processor, a location of the user based on the received voice command;

transmitting, by the processor, the voice command to an external server via a network connection;

generating, by the processor, a first voice biometric match score based on the voice command by processing the voice command;

receiving via the network connection a second voice biometric match score based on the voice command from the external server;

comparing, by the processor, the first voice biometric match score based on the voice command with the second voice biometric match score based on the voice command;

determining a user identity, by the processor, based on the comparison of the first voice biometric match score based on the voice command with the second voice biometric match score based on the voice command;

based on the determined user identity, associating, by the processor, a user identification with the voice command;

determining, by the processor, a user permission associated with the user based on the associated user identification and the determined location of the user;

allowing, by the processor, access to one or more vehicle features, wherein the one or more vehicle features are associated with the determined user identity and the determined location of the user; and

after allowing access to the one or more vehicle features, activating a vehicle function based on the voice command.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the voice command originates inside the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first voice biometric match score is generated based at least in part on a voiceprint stored in the memory and the second voice biometric score is based at least in part of a voiceprint stored in the external server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the voiceprint was sent to the vehicle from the server prior to receiving the voice command.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user permission is less than full control of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting a voiceprint version identification and a user identification associated with the voiceprint version ID to the server.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the location comprises an indication of a particular seat of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining, by the processor, a location of the user comprises comparing a plurality of audio reception levels associated with the array of microphones.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparison of the first voice biometric match score and the second voice biometric match score results in a disabling of vehicle features.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured when executed by a processor of a vehicle to;

receive a voice command from a user via an array of microphones;

determine a location of the user based on the received voice command;

transmit the voice command to an external server via a network connection;

generate a first voice biometric match score based on the voice command by processing the voice command;

receive a second voice biometric match score based on the voice command from the external server via the network connection;

compare the first voice biometric match score based on the voice command with the second voice biometric match score based on the voice command;

determine a user identity based on the comparison of the first voice biometric match score based on the voice command with the second voice biometric match score based on the voice command;

based on the determined user identity, associate a user identification with the voice command;

determine a user permission associated with the identified user based on the associated user identification and the determined location of the user;

allow access to one or more vehicle features based on the user permission, wherein the one or more vehicle features are associated with the determined user identity and the determined location of the user; and

after allowing access to the one or more vehicle features, activate a vehicle function based on the voice command.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the voice command originates inside the vehicle.