Systems and methods for off-board voice-automated vehicle navigation

• US 8,738,287 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Schalk, Thomas Barton
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US13/908,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130262102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/419, 701/420, 701/427, 701/443, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/993, 340/995.12, 340/995.16, 340/995.24, 340/996
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of providing navigational information comprises processing destination information spoken by a user of a mobile processing system. The processed voice information is transmitted to a remote data center. The processed voice information is analyzed at the data center to recognize components of the destination information. The center generates a list of hypothetical recognized components of the destination by confidence levels as calculated for each component of the information analyzed. The hypothetical recognized component list is displayed with confidence levels at the data center for selective checking by a human data center operator. A set of hypothetical components is selected based on confidence levels in the list. The accuracy of the selected set of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information is confirmed though interactive voice exchanges between the mobile system user and the remote data center. A destination is determined from confirmed components of the destination information.

Claims

1. A method of providing navigational information, comprising:

processing destination information spoken by a user of a mobile processing system;

transmitting the processed voice information via a wireless link to a remote data center;

analyzing the processed voice information with a computerized voice recognition system at the remote data center to recognize components of the destination information spoken by the mobile system user;

computer-generating at the remote data center a list of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information listed by confidence levels as computer-calculated for each component of the destination information analyzed by the voice recognition system;

computer-generating a display of the computer-generated list of hypothetical recognized components and confidence levels at the remote data center for selective checking by a human data center operator;

selecting a set of hypothetical components based on the confidence levels in the list;

confirming the accuracy of the selected set of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information via computer-generated interactive exchanges between the mobile system user and the remote data center; and

determining a destination from confirmed components of the destination information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of confirming the accuracy of the hypothetical recognized components of the destination information comprises:

transmitting a computer-generated representation of at least one hypothetical recognized component of the destination information to the mobile system user via the wireless link; and

prompting the mobile system user via the wireless link to aurally confirm the accuracy of the component of the destination information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of confirming the accuracy of the hypothetical recognized components of the destination information comprises:

transmitting at least one recorded hypothetical recognized component of the destination information spoken by the mobile system user to the mobile system user via the wireless link; and

prompting the mobile system user via the wireless link to aurally confirm the accuracy of the hypothetical recognized component of the voice destination information.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of confirming the accuracy of the hypothetical recognized components of the desired destination comprises:

determining if a confidence level of hypothetical recognized component is above a selected threshold; and

computer generating a representation of the hypothetical recognized component for transmission to the mobile system user when the confidence level is above the selected threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the destination from the confirmed components comprises providing human data center operator assistance using the developed list of hypothetical recognized components and confidence levels to recognize the desired destination.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of providing data center operator assistance comprises:

playing back recorded representations of the destination information spoken by the mobile system user to the data center operator for analysis by the data center operator; and

receiving information from the data center operator identifying the destination.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of receiving information from the data center operator comprises entering a choice from the displayed list of hypothetical components from the data center operator.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of confirming the accuracy of the hypothetical recognized components of the desired destination via interactive voice exchanges comprises transmitting aural representations of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information to the mobile system user, the hypothetical recognized components of the destination information selected from the group consisting of aural representations of the destination address number, street name, city, state, and point of interest.

9. A system for providing navigational information comprising:

a mobile system for processing and transmitting via a wireless link spoken requests from a mobile system user for navigational information to a selected destination; and

a data center processing the spoken requests for navigational information received via the wireless link and operates to;

perform automated voice recognition processing on the spoken requests for navigational information to recognize destination components of the spoken requests;

confirm the recognized destination components through interactive speech exchanges with the mobile system user via the wireless link and the mobile system;

selectively allow human data center operator intervention to assist in identifying the selected recognized destination components having a recognition confidence below a selected threshold value; and

download the desired destination for transmission to the mobile system derived from the confirmed destination components.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the data center further operates to download the navigational information in response to position information received from the mobile system via the wireless link.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the data center further operates to:

generate a list of possible destination components corresponding to the spoken requests;

assign a confidence score for each of the possible destination components on the list;

determine if a possible destination component with a highest confidence score has a confidence score above a threshold; and

computer-generate an aural representation of the destination for transmission to the mobile system for confirmation by the mobile system user if the confidence score is above the threshold.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the data center further operates to:

determine that at least one destination component of the spoken request has a recognition confidence value below a threshold; and

playback a recording in the voice of the mobile system user of at least the component with the recognition confidence value below the threshold to the mobile system user via the mobile system for confirmation.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the data center further comprises a data center operator facility playing-back the destination components for assisting in identifying the desired destination.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the data center further operates to present a list of possible destinations listed by confidence scores to the data center operator for selection as the desired destination.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the data center further operates to allow the data center operator to vary the order of the possible destinations in the list.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein a selected spoken request comprises a spoken request for point of interest information.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the point of interest information includes information selected from the group consisting of names and categories.

18. The system according to claim 9, wherein the destination components of a selected spoken request comprises location information selected from the group consisting of information identifying state, city, street name, and address number.

19. The system according to claim 9, wherein the data center further operates to record the spoken requests as normalized audio wave fields for subsequent playback.

20. A method of providing navigational information, comprising:

processing destination information spoken by a user of a mobile processing system;

transmitting the processed voice information via a wireless link to a remote data center;

analyzing the processed voice information with a computerized voice recognition system at the remote data center to recognize components of the destination information spoken by the mobile system user;

computer-generating at the remote data center a list of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information listed by confidence levels as computer-calculated for each component of the destination information analyzed by the voice recognition system;

computer-generating a display of the computer-generated list of hypothetical recognized components and confidence levels at the remote data center for selective checking by a human data center operator;

selecting a set of hypothetical components based on the confidence levels in the list;

confirming the accuracy of the selected set of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information via computer-generated interactive exchanges between the mobile system user and the remote data center; and

determining a destination from confirmed components of the destination information.