Vehicular apparatus and speech switchover control program

• US 9,870,774 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiwaki, Takayuki, Enomoto, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Seong Ah A
• Application Number:
  US14/916,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 704233, 704238, 704246, 704275, 704201
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A vehicular apparatus is provided. In the vehicular apparatus, a first controller is disposed on a first board and a second controller is disposed on a second board which is exchangeable with respect to the first board. An AD converter performs A/D conversion of first and second speech data. A switch disposed on the first board is switchable between a first connection state in which the switch outputs the first speech data inputted from the A/D converter and a second connection state in which the switch outputs a sound data different from each of the first and second speech data. A switch controller controls the switch so that the switch is in the second connection state when the second controller performs speech recognition of the second speech data.

Claims

1. A vehicular apparatus comprising:

a common A/D converter that is disposed on a first board and performs A/D conversion of a first speech data and a second speech data and outputs the first speech data and the second speech data, wherein the first speech data is a speech data not targeted for speech recognition, and the second speech data is a speech data targeted for speech recognition;

a switch that is disposed on the first board and switchable between

a first connection state in which the switch outputs the first speech data inputted from the common A/D converter and

a second connection state in which the switch outputs a different sound data different from each of the first speech data and the second speech data;

a first controller that is disposed on the first board and performs speech processing on each of the first speech data or the different sound data inputted from the switch;

an input output part that is disposed on an exchangeable second board with respect to the first board and outputs the second speech data inputted from the common A/D converter;

a second controller that is disposed on the second board and has a function to perform speech recognition of the second speech data inputted from the input output part;

a signal line that is compliant with Inter-IC sound standards and disposed extending over the first board and the second board, wherein

with a first channel of the signal line, the first speech data outputted from the common A/D converter is transmitted and inputted to the first controller via the switch, and

with a second channel of the signal line, the second speech data outputted from the common A/D converter is transmitted and inputted to the second controller via the input output part; and

a switch controller that controls the switch so that the switch is in the second connection state when the second controller performs the speech recognition of the second speech data.

2. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the switch controller switches over the switch from the first connection state to the second connection state for the second controller to perform the speech recognition of the second speech data, the switch controller notifies speech recognition availability after completing switching over of the switch from the first connection state to the second connection state.

3. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the second connection state of the switch has a plurality of connection states corresponding to the different sound data; and

when the switch controller switches over the switch from the first connection state to the second connection state for the second controller to perform the speech recognition of the second speech data, the switch controller switches over the switch to a specific connection state, which is one of the plurality of connection states of the second connection state and was used immediately before switching over from the second connection state to the first connection state.

4. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the second connection state of the switch has a plurality of connection states corresponding to the different sound data; and

when the switch controller switches over the switch from the first connection state to the second connection state for the second controller to perform the speech recognition of the second speech data, the switch controller switches over the switch to a specific connection state, which is a preset one of the plurality of connection states of the second connection state.

5. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first speech data includes hands free incoming-speech data and the second speech data includes microphone input-speech data.

6. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the different sound data includes one of DVD sound data, Bluetooth audio data, and radio sound data.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a speech switchover control program that causes a computer, which is included in a vehicular apparatus comprising:

a common A/D converter that is disposed on a first board and performs A/D conversion of a first speech data and a second speech data and outputs the first speech data and the second speech data, wherein the first speech data is a speech data not targeted for speech recognition, and the second speech data is a speech data targeted for speech recognition;

a switch that is disposed on the first board and switchable between a first connection state in which the switch outputs the first speech data inputted from the common A/D converter and a second connection state in which the switch outputs a different sound data different from the first speech data and the second speech data;

a first controller that is disposed on the first board and performs speech processing on each of the first speech data or the different sound data inputted from the switch;

an input output part that is disposed on an exchangeable second board with respect to the first board and outputs the second speech data inputted from the common A/D converter;

a second controller that is disposed on the second board and has a function to perform speech recognition of the second speech data inputted from the input putout part; and

a signal line that is compliant with inter-IC sound standards and disposed extending over the first board and the second board, wherein with a first channel of the signal line, the first speech data outputted from the common A/D converter is transmitted and inputted to the first controller via the switch, wherein with a second channel of the signal line, the second speech data outputted from the common A/D converter is transmitted and inputted to the second controller via the input output part, to perform;

determining whether or not the second controller is to perform the speech recognition of the second speech data; and

when it is determined that the second controller is to perform the speech recognition of the second speech data, controlling the switch so that the switch is in the second connection state.