Accelerometer-based external sound monitoring for voice controlled autonomous parking

• US 10,580,304 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Joshua, Amman, Scott Andrew, Rangarajan, Ranjani, Busch, Leah, Huber, John Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US15/722,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20190103027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/304 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/133 within the vehicle ; Indicators inside the vehicles or at stops
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based external sound monitoring for voice controlled autonomous parking. An example vehicle includes a body control module, an infotainment head unit, and an autonomy unit. The example body control module communicatively couples to a mobile device. The example infotainment head unit communicatively couples to an accelerometer mounted on a window of the vehicle. The example autonomy unit autonomously parks the vehicle in response to a first key word detected by the accelerometer when (i) a button is activated on the infotainment head unit and (ii) a message from the mobile device is being periodically received.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising

a body control module to communicatively couple to a mobile device;

a infotainment head unit communicatively coupled to an accelerometer mounted on a window of the vehicle; and

an autonomy unit to autonomously park the vehicle in response to a first key word detected by the accelerometer when a button is activated on the infotainment head unit and a message from the mobile device is being periodically received.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the infotainment head unit is to present the button when the autonomy unit detects a parking spot proximate the vehicle with range detection sensors.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomy unit is to stop autonomously parking the vehicle when the message is not received from the mobile device after a threshold period of time.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomy unit is to stop autonomously parking the vehicle when a second key word is word detected by the accelerometer.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the infotainment head unit is to process a signal from the accelerometer to detect the first key word using speech recognition.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is to determine a distance between the vehicle and the mobile device.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the autonomy unit is to autonomously park the vehicle in response to the first key word detected by the accelerometer when the button is activated on the infotainment head unit, the message from the mobile device is being periodically receive, and the distance between the vehicle and the mobile device is less than a threshold distance.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the autonomy unit is to stop autonomously parking the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the mobile device is greater than a threshold distance.