Assisted learning device

• US 8,376,747 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Powers, Robert B., Massoll, Charles A., Person, Mark J., Gooden, Rodney A., Williams, Vivian T., Lutz, Joel D., Bojanowski, David E., Karwick, Irwin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fletcher, Jerry-Daryl
• Application Number:
  US11/411,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20060286543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,491 Days
• Field of Search: 434/62, 701/1
• US Class Current: 434/62
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P

Abstract

An assisted learning (AL) system for a vehicle including vehicle systems with input devices is provided. The AL system includes: memory that stores usage instructions for the input devices; an AL input device; an audio output device; and a control module that retrieves a respective one of the usage instructions associated with a selected one of the input devices when the selected one of the input devices is actuated after the AL input device is actuated and that outputs the usage instructions to the audio output device.

Claims

1. An assisted learning system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle systems that each include one or more input devices;

memory that stores usage instructions for each of the input devices;

an assisted learning (AL) input device;

an audio output device; and

a control module that;

(i) in response to user actuation of the AL input device, mutes other audio input devices;

(ii) in response to user actuation of one of the input devices within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device;

(a) retrieves the usage instructions for the one of the input devices; and

(b) deactivates functionality of the one of the input devices;

(iii) outputs the usage instructions for the one of the input devices to the audio output device; and

(iv) in response to a second user actuation of the AL input device within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device, ends the output of the usage instructions for the one of the input devices.

2. The assisted learning system of claim 1 wherein the audio output device is a speaker and the usage instructions include audio files that are output by the speaker.

3. The assisted learning system of claim 1, wherein the usage instructions are stored in the memory as compressed digital audio files, and the assisted learning system further comprises an audio decoder that converts the compressed digital audio files into decompressed digital audio signals.

4. The assisted learning system of claim 3 further comprising a digital audio playback (DAP) module that receives the decompressed digital audio signals from the audio decoder and that converts the decompressed digital audio signals to analog audio signals.

5. The assisted learning system of claim 1 wherein, in response to the user actuation of the AL input device, the control module further outputs an assisted learning prompt to the audio output device.

6. The assisted learning system of claim 1 wherein, in response to user activation of a remote service assistance system, the control module ends the usage instructions.

7. A method of operating an assisted learning system for a vehicle the method comprising:

storing usage instructions for each input device of the vehicle, the vehicle including an assisted learning (AL) input device and including a plurality of vehicle systems each having one or more input devices;

in response to user actuation of the AL input device, muting other audio input devices;

in response to user actuation of one of the input devices within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device;

(a) retrieving the usage instructions for the one of the input devices; and

(b) deactivating functionality of the one of the input devices;

outputting the usage instructions for the one of the input devices to an audio output device; and

in response to a second user actuation of the AL input device within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device, ending the output of the usage instructions for the one of the input devices.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

storing the usage instructions in memory as compressed digital audio files; and

converting the compressed digital audio files into decompressed digital audio signals.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving the decompressed digital audio signals;

converting the decompressed digital audio signals to analog audio signals; and

outputting the analog audio signals to the audio output device.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising, in response to the user actuation of the AL input device, outputting an assisted learning prompt to the audio output device.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising, in response to user activation of a remote service assistance system, ending the usage instructions.