Multi-modal data input

• US 20050171664A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Konig, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A control system processes commands received from a user. The control system may control one or more devices within a vehicle. A switch allows the control system to choose one of multiple input channels. The method that receives the data selects a channel through a process that minimizes data losses. The switching occurs upon a user request, when the control system does not recognize an input, or when an interference masks a user request.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a haptic input channel for receiving input data from a user;

an audio input channel for receiving input data from the user; and

a switch coupled to the audio input channel and the haptic input channel, where the switch activates one of the audio input channel and the haptic input channel for providing the input data to the control system, the input data is configured by the control system to control to an electronic device in a vehicle.

2. The control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a command determination device coupled to the haptic input channel and the audio input channel; and

an output device coupled to the command determination device for providing information to the user.

3. The control system of claim 2, where the output device further comprises a display and/or a speaker.

4. The control system of claim 3, where the display and/or the speaker are coupled to the electronic device.

5. The control system of claim 3, where the display displays the input data.

6. The control system of claim 5, where the display and/or speaker is configured to output a signal when the switch selects an input channel.

7. The control system of claim 2, where the command determination device determines a control command from the input data and directs the control command to the electronic device.

8. The control system of claim 7, where the command determination device includes a decision unit that determines whether the control command is recognized from a first input data received from the haptic input channel and the audio input channel.

9. The control system of claim 8, where the command determination device includes a combining unit that combines the input data into a control command where a part of the control command was input data received from the haptic input channel and another part of the control command was input data received from the audio input channel.

10. The control system of claim 9, where the command determination device determines whether a combined input data is the control command.

11. The control system of claim 1, where the audio input channel includes a speech recognition device.

12. The control system of claim 1, where the switch comprises a circuit that chooses one or more states for isolating the haptic input channel and the audio input channel.

13. The control system of claim 1, where the switch is configured to switch from the audio input channel to the haptic input channel if the audio input channel is active and a background noise level is higher than a predetermined threshold.

14. The control system of claim 1, where the haptic input channel comprises a control key and the switch is configured to switch to the haptic input channel upon activation of the control key.

15. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the input data received from the haptic and/or acoustic input channels.

16. A method for receiving control data comprising:

receiving input data through a first input channel comprising a haptic input channel or an audio input channel;

de-activating the first input channel and activating a second input channel when a switching command is received, and

receiving input data through the second input channel, when the switching command is received from a user or from a control system when the control system determines that a data input is not a recognized control command for an electronic device in a vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, where de-activating further comprises switching to the haptic input channel upon activation of a control key where the control key is coupled to the haptic input channel.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising monitoring the background noise level when the audio input channel is active.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting a background noise level greater than a predetermined level.

20. The method of claim 19 where switching further comprises automatically switching from the audio input channel to the haptic input channel when the background noise level is greater than the predetermined threshold level.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting a signal to an output device when switching from one of the haptic input channel and the audio input channel to the other input data channel.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a control command from the input data and outputting the control command to an electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a control command from a first input received through the first input channel and requesting a second input through the second input channel when the control command is not recognized.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising combining the input received from the first input channel with the second input from the second input channel prior to determining the control command.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the input data.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting the input data using a display and/or speaker.

27. A programmable device comprising one or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions for providing instructions to a control system for switching between at least two input channels without losing data prior to the switching, the control system switches input channels upon receiving a command from a user, when input data is not recognized by the control system, or when a background noise level detected in an audio input channel exceeds a predetermined threshold, the input channels include a haptic input channel and an audio input channel.

28. A control system comprising:

means for receiving haptic input data from a user;

means for receiving audio input data from the user; and

means for switching between means for receiving haptic input data and means for receiving audio input data, means for switching being coupled to the control system, the control system providing the input data to an electronic device in a vehicle to control the operation of the electronic device, where means for switching activates either means for receiving audio input data or means for receiving haptic input data.

29. The control system of claim 28, where means for switching is configured to select means for receiving audio input data or means for receiving haptic input data if an interference is greater than a predetermined threshold level.

30. The control system of claim 28, where the control system determines whether a control command is recognized for the electronic device from the input data received from means for receiving haptic input data and means for receiving audio input data and if the control command is recognized directs the control command to the electronic device.

31. The control system of claim 28, where the control system determines whether a control command is recognized from a first input data received from means for receiving haptic input data or means for receiving the audio input data and whether a second input data from second means for receiving input data is necessary to determine the control command where second means is means for receiving haptic input data or means for receiving audio input data.

32. The control system of claim 31, where the command determination device combines the input data where a part of the input data was received from means for receiving haptic input data and another part of the input data was received from means for receiving audio input data.