Remote operator assistance for one or more user commands in a vehicle

• US 8,406,938 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gersabeck, David Marvin, Blanks, LaTaunya LaShea, Ziazadeh, Ninos
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US13/111,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/22, 701/24, 701/36, 701/400, 701/410, 701/412
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to remote operator assistance for one or more user commands at a vehicle. The operator assistance may occur via a vehicle computing system. One or more instances of an unsuccessful attempt to perform a user command may be received by the vehicle computing system. After detection of a predetermined number of instances, a connection may be established, via the vehicle computing system, with a remotely located system. The remotely-located system may be operated by a human operator in order to assist with performance of the user command. An information exchange may be facilitated between the vehicle and the remotely located system operated by the human operator. The information exchange may relate to the user command. The user command may be performed in the vehicle based on information obtained from the remotely-located system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

detect an unsuccessful user command issued at the vehicle;

after detecting a predetermined number of unsuccessful commands, establish a connection with a remote system operated by a human operator to assist with command implementation;

facilitate information exchange between the vehicle and the remotely located system, relating to the user command; and

implement the user command based on information obtained from the remotely-located system.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a command processing system in communication with the remote system and the processor, the command processing system configured to:

receive the information from the remote system; and

transmit the information to the at least one computer associated with the vehicle so that the user command may be performed at the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the connection is established automatically once the predetermined number has been exceeded.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a user request to connect to the remote system; and

establish the connection to the remote system in response to the user request.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive eligibility information defining an eligibility to connect to the remote system; and

establish the connection based on the eligibility information.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the eligibility information limits a number of connection made based on at least one of frequency, time, and cost.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive identifying information identifying a user or the vehicle;

identify the user or the vehicle based on the identifying information; and

determine eligibility for the identified user or the identified vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the user command is a spoken command and the unsuccessful attempt is due to a failure by a speech recognition system to recognize the spoken command.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the information exchange includes voice communication.

10. A method comprising:

detecting an instance of an unsuccessful user command implementation attempt by a vehicle computer;

establishing a connection to a remotely-located system having a human operator to facilitate an information exchange between a vehicle and the system relating to the user command; and

implementing the command at the vehicle computer based on information obtained from the remotely-located system as a result of the information exchange.