A CONTROLLER FOR USE WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20040220811A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Vandivier, Karl Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L

Abstract

A controller for use in a vehicle having a number of modules that can listen to a microphone signal. The controller comprises a router and a microprocessor. The controller can route the microphone signal to each of the modules. The microprocessor can authorize at least one of the modules to listen to the microphone signal.

Claims

1. A controller for use in a vehicle having a number of modules that can listen to a microphone signal, the controller comprising:

a router configured to receive the microphone signal and separately route the received microphone signal to each of the modules; and

a microprocessor for transmitting a microphone authorization signal for authorizing at least one of the modules to listen to the routed microphone signal.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to select the module having a highest priority value based on a predefined priority value for each module and to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value.

3. The controller of claim 2 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone request signals from the modules and to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value of the modules communicating microphone request signals to the microprocessor.

4. The controller of claim 2 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit microphone inquiry signals to the modules for enabling each module to transmit the microphone request signal, and wherein the microprocessor is further configured to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone request signals to the microprocessor.

5. The controller of claim 2 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone interrupt signals from the modules and to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone interrupt signals to the microprocessor.

6. The controller of claim 2 wherein the router is configured to receive audio signals from the modules and to route each received audio signal to an audio bus in the vehicle.

7. The controller of claim 6 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit audio authorization signals to the modules for authorizing at least one module to transmit the audio signal.

8. The controller of claim 7 wherein the microprocessor is configured to select the module having the highest priority value and to transmit the audio authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value.

9. The controller of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio request signals from the modules and to transmit the audio authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out the modules communicating audio request signals to the microprocessor.

10. The controller of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit audio inquiry signals to the modules for prompting each module to transmit the audio request signal, and wherein the microprocessor is further configured to transmit the authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating audio request signals to the microprocessor.

11. The controller of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio interrupt signals from the modules and to transmit the audio authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating audio interrupt signals to the microprocessor.

12. A system, the system comprising:

a vehicle having a number of modules that can listen to a microphone signal; and

a controller configured to receive the microphone signal and separately route the received microphone signal to each of the modules and configured for transmitting a microphone authorization signal for authorizing at least one of the modules to listen to the routed microphone signal.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller further comprises a microprocessor configured to select the module having a highest priority value based on a predefined priority value for each module and to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone request signals from the modules and to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value of the modules communicating microphone request signals to the microprocessor.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit microphone inquiry signals to the modules for enabling each module to transmit the microphone request signal, and wherein the microprocessor is further configured to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone request signals to the microprocessor.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone interrupt signals from the modules and to transmit the microphone authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone interrupt signals to the microprocessor.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the router is configured to receive audio signals from the modules and to route each received audio signal to an audio bus in the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit audio authorization signals to the modules for authorizing at least one module to transmit the audio signal.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the microprocessor is configured to select the module having the highest priority value and to transmit the audio authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio request signals from the modules and to transmit the audio authorization signal to the module having the highest priority value out the modules communicating audio request signals to the microprocessor.