VEHICLE IMMERSIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100137037A1
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Value8 Co., Ltd. (Wisefin Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ridetones, Inc.
• Inventors: Basir, Otman A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,930,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.100
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A vehicle communication system facilitates hands-free interaction with a mobile device in a vehicle or elsewhere. Users interact with the system by speaking to it. The system processes text and processes commands. The system supports Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free use. The system handles telephone calls, email, and SMS text messages. The user can customize the device via a user profile stored on an Internet web server.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a control unit in a vehicle; and

a mobile communication device having data network access, the mobile communication device having a self-contained mode in which information received via the data network is processed and displayed on the mobile communication device and an immersive mode in which information is received via the data network and the device and processed by the control unit, the mobile communication device automatically switching from self-contained mode to immersive mode based upon a proximity of the device to the control unit, wherein the control unit is operable to initiate an audio transmission enumerating all available communication modes for a contact from which a communication is received.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device switches modes based upon establishment of communication between the mobile device and the control unit, or based upon one of the control unit and the mobile device detecting the presence of the other of the control unit and the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the information includes a plurality of emails and wherein the control unit converts text in the plurality of emails to audible speech and plays the audible speech in the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3 further including a microphone receiving voice commands from a user, the control unit processing the voice commands and playing the audible speech based upon the voice commands.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the information includes a plurality of SMS or text messages and wherein the control unit converts text in the plurality of text message to audible speech and plays the audible speech in the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 further including a user profile associated with the mobile device, the control unit processing the information based upon the user profile, the control unit selects the user profile based upon an identification of the mobile device associated with the profile.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein a plurality of profiles, including the user profile, are stored on a server accessible via the internet and wherein the user profile can be modified by the user on the server via the internet, the control unit downloading the user profile from the server via the data network access of the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device also has voice network access and wherein voice calls handled by the mobile device in immersive communication mode are played through at least one speaker connected via the control unit.

9. A method for communicating in a vehicle including the steps of:

a) determining a presence of a mobile device in the vehicle;

b) downloading email from the mobile device to a vehicle control unit through a wireless connection;

c) based upon said step a), converting text of the email to speech and audibly playing the speech for the user; and

d) determining whether to perform said step c) based upon a user profile associated with the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the text of the email includes one or more attachments, and wherein said step c) includes converting plain text portions of the one or more email attachments to speech and audibly playing the plain text portions of the one or more email attachments.

11. The method of claim 9 further including the step of switching the mobile device from a self-contained mode to an immersive communication mode based upon said step a).

12. The method of claim 9, the email of said step b) having a sender and an email subject, wherein said step d) includes determining if the profile) prohibits notifications for emails from the sender or for the email subject.

13. The method of claim 9 further including the step of providing access to contacts on the mobile device to the control unit via the wireless connection based upon said step a).

14. The method of claim 9 further including the step of providing access to a calendar on the mobile device to the control unit via the wireless connection based upon said step a).

15. The method of claim 9 further including the step of providing access to a wide area network to the control unit via the wireless connection.

16. A method for operating a wireless mobile device including the steps of:

a) determining that the mobile device is in a vehicle;

b) switching from a self-contained mode to an immersive communication mode based upon said step a);

c) redirecting incoming communication sent to the mobile device to a control unit over a wireless connection based upon the mobile device being in the immersive communication mode;

d) selectively providing a notification of the redirected communication; and

e) responding to the communication based upon at least one spoken command received by the control unit.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein staid step d) is performed based upon a receiving permission from user profile associated with the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the incoming communication includes at least one of a telephone call, an email message, an SMS or text message or a MMS message.

19. The method of claim 16 further including the step of providing access to existing information stored on the mobile device via the wireless connection based upon said step a).

20. The method of claim 19 further including the step of providing wireless access to contacts and a calendar on the mobile device based upon said step a).

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said step e) includes:

receiving a spoken email message via a local wireless connection in the immersive communication mode; and

transmitting the email message over a wide area network.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the immersive communication mode permits the control unit to transmit messages via the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the mobile device in the immersive communication mode permits a user to respond to an email with a phone call by automatically looking up a phone number associated with a sender of the email in an address book.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the mobile device in the immersive communication mode automatically provide an email address of a contact to whom a call was attempted.

25. A method for operating a communication device including the steps of:

a) receiving a first communication via a first communication mode from a contact having information stored in an address book;

b) retrieving information associated with the contact in the address book based upon said step a); and

c) providing an option to respond to the contact via a second communication mode other than the first communication mode based upon said step a) and based upon the information for the contact stored in the address book.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the first communication mode is email.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the second communication mode includes calling a phone number associated with the contact in the address book based upon said step a).

28. The method of claim 25, including:

d) providing an option to respond to the contact via the first communication mode or a third communication mode based upon one of a phone line for the contact being busy, or the contact not having a voicemail box.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the first communication mode is a meeting request.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the second communication mode includes responding to the first communication with a recorded audio file, the method further including the steps of recording an audio file and sending the audio file via email to the contact.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the second communication mode includes responding to the first communication with an SMS message or text message, the method further including the steps of sending the SMS message or text message to the contact.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

d) initiating an audio transmission enumerating all available communication modes for the contact; and

e) receiving a speech command indicating a desired second communication mode for responding to the first communication.