System for speech activated movement of a vehicle backdoor

• US 9,243,439 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Maranzano, John, Adams, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US14/193,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20150247352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/763 using acoustical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/85 User input means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/50 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check

Abstract

A vehicle includes a moveable closure panel and a system for activating movement of the closure panel. The system is configured to receive a voice command to move the closure panel, identify the location of an object in an area surrounding the vehicle, and if the object is within a predetermined zone of the area for permitting movement of the closure panel in accordance with the voice command, generate an instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command. The vehicle further includes at least one actuator responsive to the instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a moveable closure panel;

a system for activating movement of the closure panel, the system configured to;

receive a voice command to move the closure panel,

identify the location of an object in an area surrounding the vehicle,

identify when the object or another object is in an interference zone around the moveable closure panel,

when the object is within a predetermined zone of the area for permitting movement of the closure panel in accordance with the voice command and not identified in the interference zone, generate an instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command, and

when the object or the other object is identified within the interference zone, instruct a user of the vehicle to clear the interference zone; and

at least one actuator responsive to the instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to identify the object as a user of the vehicle prior to generating the instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the voice command is to switch the position of the closure panel from a closed position to an open position, and the predetermined zone is a closure panel zone adjacent to the closure panel.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the voice command is to switch the position of the closure panel from an open position to a closed position, and the predetermined zone is outside of the interference zone for the closure panel.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to certify a remote controller for the vehicle in the area prior to generating the instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command.

6. A method for activating movement of a moveable closure panel in a vehicle, comprising:

identifying a voice command to move the closure panel based on one or more sound signals indicating sound in an area surrounding the vehicle;

identifying the location of an object in the area based on one or more proximity signals indicating objects in the area; and

generating an instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command if the object is within a predetermined zone of the area for permitting movement of the closure panel in accordance with the voice command, wherein the voice command is to switch the position of the closure panel from an open position to a closed position, and the predetermined zone is outside of an interference zone for the closure panel where the object'"'"'s presence will interfere with the movement of the closure panel from the open position to the closed position.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying the object as a user of the vehicle prior to generating the instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the voice command is to switch the position of the closure panel from a closed position to an open position, and the predetermined zone is a closure panel zone adjacent to the closure panel.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

instructing a user of the vehicle to clear the interference zone if the object is within the interference zone.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

certifying a remote controller for the vehicle in the area prior to generating the instruction to move the closure panel in accordance with the voice command.

11. A vehicle, comprising:

a closure panel supported for movement between an open position and a closed position;

at least one actuator for moving the closure panel;

at least one sound sensor for generating one or more sound signals indicating sound in an area surrounding the vehicle;

at least one proximity sensor for generating one or more proximity signals indicating objects in the area;

a first controller in communication with the at least one actuator, the at least one sound sensor and the at least one proximity sensor, the first controller programmed to;

identify a voice command to move the closure panel based on the one more sound signals,

identify the presence of an object within a closure panel zone of the area based on the one or more proximity signals,

control the at least one actuator to move the closure panel in response to the voice command and the object'"'"'s presence within the closure panel zone,

certify a remote controller for the vehicle in the area, and

activate the at least one sound sensor to generate the one or more sound signals and activate the at least one proximity sensor to generate the one or more proximity signals in response to the certification of the remote controller; and

an auxiliary controller being in communication with the at least one sound sensor and the at least one proximity sensor, wherein the first controller is in communication with the auxiliary controller and the remote controller, the first controller is programmed to certify the remote controller, and in response to the certification, activate the auxiliary controller, and the auxiliary controller is programmed upon activation to activate the at least one sound sensor to generate the one or more sound signals and activate the at least one proximity sensor to generate the one or more proximity signals.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first controller is further programmed to identify the object as a user of the vehicle prior to controlling the actuator to move the closure panel.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first controller is further programmed to:

identify a voice command to switch the position of the closure panel between the open position and the closed position based on the one or more sound signals, and

control the actuator to switch the position of the closure panel in response to the voice command and the object'"'"'s presence within the closure panel zone.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first controller is further programmed to:

identify the object as being outside of an interference zone for the closure panel, where the object'"'"'s presence will interfere with the movement of the closure panel, based on the one or more proximity signals, and

control the actuator to move the closure panel in response to the object'"'"'s presence outside of the interference zone.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one user feedback device, wherein the first controller is in communication with the at least one user feedback device and is further programmed to;

identify the object as being in an interference zone for the closure panel, where the object'"'"'s presence will interfere with the movement of the closure panel, based on the one or more proximity signals, and

control the user feedback device to output instructions to clear the interference zone.

16. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first controller is further programmed to:

identify voice dialogue among the sound indicated by the one or more sound signals, compare the voice dialogue against data indicating one or more voice commands to move the closure panel, and

if there is a match between the voice dialogue and the data, identify the voice dialogue as corresponding to the voice command.