Vehicle accessory control with integrated voice and manual activation

• US 6,240,347 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rushton, Gary John, Everhart, Charles Allen, Frischmuth, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US09/175,782
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/36, 701/1, 340/825.19, 381/110, 381/86, 367/197, 367/198, 704/275, 704/271
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A voice activated control system responsive to spoken voice commands is integrated with an advanced central display/control unit having dedicated and reconfigurable push buttons to control individual vehicle accessories in a complementary fashion as well as in standalone modes. The two controllers share additional input and output resources including reconfigurable steering wheel switches and a heads-up display showing the current configuration of the steering wheel switches. Thus, a driver can control a plurality of adjustable parameters of a plurality of vehicle accessories with a convenient and easy to use interface which makes efficient use of hardware and reduces costs.

Claims

1. Apparatus in a automotive vehicle wherein said vehicle has a passenger cabin with a steering wheel, an instrument panel, and a front window, said apparatus for controlling a controllable accessory having a plurality of controllable function parameters, said apparatus comprising:

a speech processor coupled to said controllable accessory, said speech processor recognizing spoken sounds and transmitting corresponding commands to said controllable accessory;

a central display/control unit coupled to said controllable accessory, said central display/control unit including a visual display displaying current values of said controllable function parameters and including a plurality of control elements for manually selecting desired changes in said current values, said central display/control unit transmitting commands corresponding to said desired changes to said controllable accessory;

reconfigurable control elements coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit and mounted on said steering wheel for adjusting current values of said controllable function paramcters, wherein said reconfigurable control elements can be reconfigured to a selected parameter by either said speech processor or said central display/control unit; and

a heads-up display coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit displaying at least one indicator above said instrument panel, said indicator corresponding to said selected parameter to identify a current configuration of said reconfigurable control elements;

wherein said speech processor and said central display/control unit pass a token between them which identifies which one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit can interact with said reconfigurable control elements and said heads-up display at any particular time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said heads-up display is comprised of an eyebrow display mounted proximate to an interface between said instrument panel and said front window.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controllable accessory, said speech processor, said central display/control unit, said reconfigurable control elements, and said heads-up display are interconnected by a multiplex network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reconfigurable control elements are comprised of up, down, left, and right push buttons, and wherein said heads-up display shows indicators specifying respective adjustment actions for changing said current values of said controllable function parameters that will result upon activation of said push buttons in a current configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said indicators shown by said heads-up display are configured by the one of said speech processor and said central display/control unit identified by said token.

6. A method of controlling an automotive accessory in a vehicle having a passenger cabin with a steering wheel and an instrument panel, wherein said controllable accessory has a plurality of controllable function parameters, and wherein said method utilizes a speech processor, a central display/control unit, reconfigurable control elements, and a heads-up display, said speech processor being coupled to said controllable accessory and recognizing spoken sounds and transmitting corresponding commands to said controllable accessory, said central display/control unit being coupled to said controllable accessory and including a visual display displaying current values of said controllable function parameters and a plurality of control elements for manually selecting desired changes in said current values, said central display/control unit transmitting commands corresponding to said desired changes to said controllable accessory, said reconfigurable control elements being coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit and mounted on said steering wheel for adjusting current values of said controllable function parameters, said reconfigurable control elements being reconfigurable to a selected parameter by either said speech processor or said central display/control unit, said heads-up display being coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit for displaying at least one indicator above said instrument panel, said indicator corresponding to said selected parameter to identify a current configuration of said reconfigurable control elements, said method comprising:

commanding an adjustment action using a selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit;

said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit transmitting an assert token message to the other one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit;

said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit transmitting a display message to said heads-up display in response to said commanded adjustment action to identify a configuration of said reconfigurable control elements; and

said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit monitoring said reconfigurable control elements for further adjustment commands while said other one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit ignores said reconfigurable control elements.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

identifying said controllable function parameter using said speech processor;

transmitting an assert token message from said speech processor to said central display/control unit;

transmitting a display message from said speech processor to said heads-up display in response to said identified controllable function parameter;

altering a menu state of said central display/control unit to match said identified controllable function parameter; and

accepting adjustment commands for said controllable function parameter from any of said speech processor, said reconfigurable control elements, or said central display/control unit.