Automated personal assistance system

• US 8,924,218 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecare Global, LLC
• Original Assignee: Harmone-Celeste, Inc.
• Inventors: Corpier, Greg L., Boyer, Katie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADESANYA, OLUJIMI A
• Application Number:
  US13/306,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/246, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/271
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/024 having particular operating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered

Abstract

An automated personal assistance system employing artificial intelligence technology that includes speech recognition and synthesis, situational awareness, pattern and behavioral recognition, and the ability to learn from the environment. Embodiments of the system include environmental and occupant sensors and environmental actuators interfaced to an assistance controller having the artificial intelligence technology incorporated therein to control the environment of the system. An embodiment of the invention is implemented as a vehicle which reacts to voice command for movement and operation of the vehicle and detects objects, obstructions, and distances. This invention provides the ability to monitor for the safety of operation and modify dangerous maneuvers as well as to learn locations in the environment and to automatically find its way to them. The system may also incorporate communication capability to convey patterns of environmental and occupant parameters and to a monitoring center.

Claims

1. An automated personal assistance vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle frame;

(b) an occupant seat mounted on said frame;

(c) vehicle wheels rotatably mounted on said frame;

(d) a vehicle motor mounted on said frame and engaged with said wheels in such a manner as to propel and steer said vehicle when activated;

(e) a battery coupled with said motor in such a manner as to selectively activate said motor;

(f) a position coordinate system mounted on the frame to determine a location of said vehicle;

(g) a navigation sensor mounted on said frame and operative to detect objects in a path of said vehicle and to derive navigational parameters therefrom in cooperation with said position coordinate system;

(h) a speech recognition unit mounted on said frame and operative to convert vocal input from an occupant of said seat to coded vocal commands;

(i) a vehicle controller having said motor, said position coordinate system, said navigation sensor, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto, said controller being programmed to control navigation of said vehicle in cooperation with said position coordinate system in response to learned paths between locations of said environment, in response to said coded vocal commands, and in response to obstacles sensed by said navigation sensor;

(j) said vehicle controller being programmed with artificial intelligence to enable said vehicle controller to learn patterns of values of locations and navigational parameters of said vehicle sensed by said position coordinate system and navigation sensors and in response to vocal commands from said occupant to thereby adapt navigation of said vehicle in response to said patterns of values and vocal commands;

(k) a telecommunication device interfaced to said vehicle controller and operative to regularly communicate reports of locations and navigational parameters of said vehicle and to a remote monitoring center, to report selected patterns of values of said locations and navigational parameters to said monitoring center, and to communicate with said monitoring center in response to vocal commands from said occupant;

(l) said vehicle controller is programmed to construct a map of an environment of said vehicle and to update said map in response to detecting structures and objects within said environment by said navigation sensor and position coordinate system and in response to vocal commands from said occupant; and

(m) an automated personal assistance system interfaced to said vehicle controller and said telecommunication device, said automated personal assistance system including;

(1) a plurality of environmental sensors positioned at a residence and sensing respective environmental parameters of an environment of said residence;

(2) a plurality of occupant sensors sensing occupant parameters of an occupant of said residence including a current location of said occupant within said residence and a history of locations of said occupant;

(3) a plurality of environmental actuators controllable to vary said environmental parameters of said residence;

(4) a residence speech recognition unit including a microphone operable to receive and interpret vocal commands from said occupant;

(5) an assistance controller having said environmental and occupant sensors, said environmental actuators, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto and said vehicle controller remotely interfaced thereto;

(6) said assistance controller being programmed to control said environmental parameters by way of said environmental actuators in response to values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said environmental and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant; and

(7) said interfacing among said automated personal assistance system, said vehicle and said telecommunication device being configured for;

directing operation of said vehicle in response to output from said personal assistance system;

interfacing said vehicle sensors, including said environment and occupant sensors, with said personal assistance system and said telecommunication device;

communicating vehicle operating information with said vehicle occupant via said personal assistance system;

transmitting vehicle operating information via said telecommunication device; and

assisting said vehicle occupant via said personal assistance system based on outputs from said vehicle sensors.