TASK INITIATOR AND METHOD FOR INITIATING TASKS FOR A VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM

• US 20090055824A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rychtyckyj, Nestor, Wilkerson, Brian Y., Tonshal, Basavaraj, Gusikhin, Oleg Yurievitch, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Giuli, Thomas J., Klampfl, Erica, Chen, Yifan
• Application Number:
  US12/265,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055824A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/089 Driver voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/205 driven by audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices

Abstract

Information about a device may be emotively conveyed to a user of the device. Input indicative of an operating state of the device may be received. The input may be transformed into data representing a simulated emotional state. Data representing an avatar that expresses the simulated emotional state may be generated and displayed. A query from the user regarding the simulated emotional state expressed by the avatar may be received. The query may be responded to.

Claims

1. A task initiator for a vehicle information system, the task initiator comprising:

a computer configured to

receive input representing a value of an operating parameter of the vehicle;

determine whether the value of the operating parameter substantially matches a previously recorded value of the operating parameter, the previously recorded value of the operating parameter associated with data representing a task previously requested and previously executed; and

execute the task if the value of the operating parameter substantially matches the previously recorded value of the operating parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to query the user regarding whether to execute the task if the value of the operating parameter substantially matches the previously recorded value of the operating parameter.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer is further configured to receive input from the user representing a response to the query and to execute the task based on the response to the query.

4. A task initiator for a vehicle information system, the task initiator comprising:

a computer configured to

receive input representing a value of an operating parameter of the vehicle;

determine whether the value falls within a predetermined range of values;

determine whether a counter is equal to or greater than a threshold if the received value falls within the predetermined range of values, the counter indicative of a number of times a past value of the operating parameter has fallen within the predetermined range of values while a predefined task was being performed; and

initiate the predefined task if the counter is equal to or greater than the threshold.

5. The task initiator of claim 4 wherein the computer is further configured to query a user regarding whether to initiate the predefined task if the counter is equal to or greater than the threshold.

6. The task initiator of claim 5 wherein the computer is further configured to receive input from the user representing an affirmative or negative response to the query.

7. The task initiator of claim 6 wherein the computer is further configured to decrement the counter if the response to the query is negative.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the computer is further configured to initiate the predefined task if the response to the query is affirmative.

9. The task initiator of claim 4 wherein the computer is further configured to increment the counter if the current value falls within the predetermined range of values.

10. A method for initiating a task in a vehicle information system, the method comprising:

receiving input representing an operating state of the vehicle;

determining whether the current operating state meets any of a predefined set of operating states of the vehicle;

determining whether a counter is equal to or greater than a threshold if the current operating state meets any of the predefined set of operating states, the counter indicative of a number of times a past operating state of the vehicle met any of the predefined set of operating states while a predefined task was being performed;

querying a user regarding whether to initiate the predefined task if the counter is equal to or greater than the threshold;

receiving input representing an affirmative or negative response to the query; and

initiating the predefined task if the response to the query is affirmative.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising decrementing the counter if the response to the query is negative.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising incrementing the counter if the response to the query is positive.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the operating state of the vehicle comprises vehicle speed.

14. A method for initiating a task in a vehicle information system, the method comprising:

receiving input indicative of a task being performed and input representing a value achieved by at least one operating parameter of the vehicle while the task is being performed;

recording the task and value of the operating parameter;

determining whether a subsequent value of the operating parameter substantially matches the recorded value of the operating parameter;

querying a user regarding whether to initiate the task if the subsequent value of the operating parameter substantially matches the recorded value of the operating parameter;

receiving input representing a response to the query; and

initiating the task based on the response to the query.

15. A method for initiating tasks in a vehicle information system, the method comprising:

receiving input indicative of a task being performed and input representing at least one of audio and visual characteristics of a user while the task is being performed;

generating data representing an emotional state of the user based on the input representing the at least one of audio and visual characteristics of the user;

recording the task and the emotional state of the user;

determining whether a subsequent emotional state of the user substantially matches the recorded emotional state of the user;

querying the user regarding whether to initiate the task if the subsequent emotional state of the user substantially matches the recorded emotional state of the user;

receiving input representing a response to the query; and

initiating the task based on the response to the query.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the response to the query comprises one of an affirmative response and negative response.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising decrementing a counter indicative of the number of times a negative response has been received.