VOICE STAMP-DRIVEN IN-VEHICLE FUNCTIONS

• US 20140074480A1
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Gratke, Jesse T., Shahmurad, Bassam S.
• Application Number:
  US13/610,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074480A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

In-vehicle functions are implemented using a plurality of microphones disposed in a vehicle. Each of the microphones is disposed in a portion of the vehicle defined by a zone. The in-vehicle functions are also implemented via a central controller of the vehicle. The central controller includes a computer processor executing logic. The logic receive a voice communication from an individual via one of the microphones, identifies the zone in the vehicle occupied by the individual, identifies the individual by comparing a voice stamp from the voice communication to a database of voice stamps, and implements at least one vehicle electronic component in the zone based on user preferences associated with the voice stamp.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of microphones disposed in a vehicle, each of the microphones disposed in a portion of the vehicle defined by a zone;

a central controller of the vehicle, the central controller including a computer processor; and

logic executable by the computer processor, the logic configured to implement a method, the method comprising;

receiving a voice communication from an individual via one of the microphones;

identifying the zone in the vehicle occupied by the individual;

identifying the individual by comparing a voice stamp from the voice communication to a database of voice stamps; and

implementing at least one vehicle electronic component in the zone based on user preferences associated with the voice stamp.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the microphones are disposed in at least one of a vehicle dashboard, headrests of vehicle seats, B-Pillars, and roof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a display device and the logic is further configured to implement:

prompting the individual to select the user preferences with respect to the at least one vehicle electronic component;

storing the user preferences in a database; and

assigning an identifier to the voice stamp and mapping the identifier to the user preferences.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle electronic component includes at least one of:

vehicle seating;

heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation system components;

an infotainment system; and

lighting.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to implement:

creating the voice stamp by receiving utterances from the individual, and performing a spectral analysis on a recording of the utterances.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the utterances from the individual are based on pre-defined phonetically balanced sentences.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the spectral analysis is a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a computer processor, a voice communication from an individual via one of a plurality of microphones disposed in a vehicle;

identifying the zone in the vehicle occupied by the individual;

identifying the individual using a voice stamp from the voice communication; and

implementing at least one vehicle component in the zone based on user preferences associated with the voice stamp.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the microphones are disposed in at least one of a vehicle dashboard, headrests of vehicle seats, B-Pillars, and roof.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle includes a display device, the method further comprising:

prompting the individual to select the user preferences with respect to the at least one vehicle electronic component;

storing the user preferences in a database; and

assigning an identifier to the voice stamp and mapping the identifier to the user preferences.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one vehicle electronic component includes at least one of:

vehicle seating;

heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation system components;

an infotainment system; and

lighting.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

creating the voice stamp by receiving utterances from the individual, and performing a spectral analysis on a recording of the utterances.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the utterances from the individual are based on pre-defined phonetically balanced sentences, and the spectral analysis is a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.

14. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a storage medium having computer program instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving a voice communication from an individual via one of a plurality of microphones disposed in a vehicle;

identifying the zone in the vehicle occupied by the individual;

identifying the individual by comparing a voice stamp from the voice communication to a database of voice stamps; and

implementing at least one vehicle electronic component in the zone based on user preferences associated with the voice stamp.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the microphones are disposed in at least one of a vehicle dashboard, headrests of vehicle seats, B-Pillars, and roof.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the vehicle includes a display device and the logic is further configured to implement:

prompting the individual to select the user preferences with respect to the at least one vehicle electronic component;

storing the user preferences in a database; and

assigning an identifier to the voice stamp and mapping the identifier to the user preferences.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one vehicle electronic component includes at least one of:

vehicle seating;

heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation system components;

an infotainment system; and

lighting.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

creating the voice stamp by receiving utterances from the individual, and performing a spectral analysis on a recording of the utterances.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the utterances from the individual are based on pre-defined phonetically balanced sentences.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the spectral analysis is a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.