Voice controlled vehicle wheel alignment system

• US 7,099,749 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Voeller, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US10/784,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 700/279, 332/86, 332/88, 704/275
• US Class Current: 700/279
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/26 for testing wheel alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/012 Comfort noise or silence coding

Abstract

An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a voice interface configured with an induction-pickup microphone associated with an earpiece and adapted to receive voice signals from a vibration transmitting anatomical structure associated with an operator. A central processing unit in the vehicle wheel alignment system is configured with one or more software objects to process received data signals representative of acoustic signals acquired through the induction-pickup microphone to identify one or more spoken commands, and to execute operating instructions associated with the identified spoken commands.

Claims

1. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the vehicle wheel alignment system, the improvement comprising:

a communications interface including at least one contact microphone adapted to receive at least one acoustic signal from a vibration transmitting anatomical structure associated with an operator, said at least one contact microphone is configured to produce a data signal representative of said at least one received acoustic signal for communication to said central processing unit;

wherein said central processing unit is configured to receive said data signal, and to process said data signal to identify at least one discrete spoken command, said central processing unit further configured with at least one software object which conforms to VoiceXML standards to process said data signal to identify said at least one discrete spoken command; and

wherein the central processing unit is configured responsive to said software object to control the operation of at least one component of the wheel alignment system in response to said identified at least one discrete spoken command.

2. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said vibration transmitting anatomical structure is adjacent said operator'"'"'s ear, and said at least one contact microphone disposed in skin contact adjacent said operator'"'"'s ear.

3. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said vibration transmitting anatomical structure is adjacent said operator'"'"'s larynx, and said at least one contact microphone disposed in skin contact with said operator'"'"'s throat.

4. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said one or more discrete spoken commands each include a predetermined preface.

5. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein each of said one or more discrete spoken commands are phonetically distinct.

6. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the vehicle wheel alignment system, the improvement comprising:

a communications interface including at least one contact microphone adapted to receive at least one acoustic signal from a vibration transmitting anatomical structure associated with an operator, said at least one contact microphone configured to produce a data signal representative of said at least one received acoustic signal for communication to said central processing unit via a wireless communications link conforming to a Bluetooth™

communication protocol; and

wherein said central processing unit is configured to receive said data signal for processing to identify at least one discrete spoken command.

7. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 6 wherein said communications interface is further configured to receive an output signal from said central processing unit;

and wherein said communications interface further includes at least one speaker configured to convert said received output signal to an audio signal.

8. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 7 wherein said output signal includes audio data associated with a vehicle wheel alignment procedure.

9. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 6 wherein said at least one contact microphone is further configured with an acoustic filter, said acoustic filter configured to filter said acoustic signals.

10. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 9 wherein said acoustic filter is configured responsive to vocal acoustic signals.

11. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 9 wherein an actuating switch is associated with said acoustic filter.

12. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 6 wherein said communications interface further includes at least one air conductive microphone adapted to receive one or more acoustic signals through an air interface, said at least one air conductive microphone configured to produce a second data signal representative of said one or more acoustic signals for communication to said central processing unit.

13. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 12 wherein said at least one contact microphone is adapted to acquire low frequency acoustic signals;

and wherein said at least one air conductive microphone is adapted to acquire wideband acoustic signals.

14. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 6 wherein said communications interface is wearable by an operator.

15. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 14 wherein said communications interface is incorporated within a headset.

16. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the vehicle wheel alignment system, the improvement comprising:

a communications interface including at least one contact microphone adapted to receive at least one acoustic signal from a vibration transmitting anatomical structure associated with an operator, said at least one contact microphone configured to produce a first data signal representative of said at least one received acoustic signal for communication to said central processing unit, said communications interface further including at least one air conductive microphone adapted to receive at least one acoustic signal through an air interface, said at least one air conductive microphone configured to produce a second data signal representative of said at least one acoustic signal received through said air interface for communication to said central processing unit;

wherein said central processing unit is configured to receive said data signal for processing to identify at least one discrete spoken command, said central processing unit configured with at least one software object adapted to process said first data signal to identify the presence of operator speech;

wherein said software object is further adapted to process a corresponding portion of said second data signal responsive to an identified presence of operator speech to identify one or more spoken commands; and

wherein the central processing unit is further configured responsive to said software object to control the operation of at least one component of the wheel alignment system in response to said identified one or more spoken commands.

17. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 16 wherein said at least one software object conforms to VoiceXML standards.

18. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 16 wherein said one or more discrete spoken commands each include a predetermined preface.

19. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 16 wherein each of said one or more discrete spoken commands are phonetically distinct.

20. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 16 wherein said communications interface is further configured to communicate at least one of said first and second data signals to the central processing unit via a wireless communications link.

21. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the vehicle wheel alignment system, the improvement comprising:

a communications interface including at least one contact microphone adapted to receive one or more acoustic signals from a vibration transmitting anatomical structure adjacent said operator'"'"'s larynx, said at least one contact microphone is disposed in skin contact with said operator'"'"'s throat and is configured to produce a first signal representative of said received acoustic signals;

at least one air conductive microphone adapted to receive one or more acoustic signals through an air interface, said at least one air conductive microphone configured to produce a second signal representative of said received acoustic signals;

an audio processor module configured to receive said first and second signals and to provide an output data signal representative of voice input to said central processing unit.

22. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 21 wherein said audio processor module is further adapted to utilize said first signal and said second signal to clarify voice data received from an operator.

23. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 21 wherein said output data signal is representative of said clarified voice data.

24. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 21 wherein said improvement further comprises the central processing unit configured with at least one software object adapted to process said output data signal to identify one or more discrete spoken commands;

and

wherein the central processing unit is configured responsive to said software object to control the operation of at least one component of the wheel alignment system in response to said identified one or more spoken commands.

25. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 21 wherein said communications interface is further configured to communicate said output data signal to the central processing unit via a wireless communications link.

26. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 21 wherein said communications interface is further configured to receive an output signal from said central processing unit;

and wherein said communications interface further includes at least one speaker configured to convert said received output signal to an audio signal.

27. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 26 wherein said output signal includes audio data associated with a vehicle wheel alignment procedure.