Voice actuated vehicle security system

• US 4,856,072 A
• Filed: 12/31/1986
• Issued: 08/08/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rostra Precision Controls Incorporated (Aftermarket Controls Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Dana Corporation (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Jack H., Gray, Larry O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US06/947,984
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52 F, 340/825.31, 381/110, 381/86, 455/54, 455/56, 455/58, 379/171, 180/287, 180/289, 367/198
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/063 Training

Abstract

A voice actuated vehicle security system includes both internal and external microphones for receiving vocal instructions and internal and external speakers for delivering vocal messages. During a training period, a plurality of voice recognition templates are stored in memory representing one or more authorized vehicle operators. A voice recognition and synthesis unit interfaces the microphones and the speakers with a microcomputer and the memory. Various vehicle condition sensors and controls are connected to the microcomputer to permit the system to respond to changes in vehicle conditons by delivering the associated vocal messages and to respond to vocal instructions to control vehicle elements such as door locks, lights, etc.

Claims

1. A voice actuated vehicle security system comprising:

a first microphone adapted to be mounted inside a vehicle and responsive to a vocal instruction for generating an input signal;

a second microphone adapted to be mounted outside a vehicle and responsive to said vocal instruction for generating said input signal;

voice control means connected to said first and second microphones and responsive to said input signal for generating a vocal instruction signal;

storage means connected to said voice control means for generating a control signal in response to a correspondence between said vocal instruction signal and one of a plurality of stored voice recognition templates; and

speaker means connected to said voice control means and responsive to an output signal for generating a vocal message, said voice control means being responsive to said control signal for generating said output signal.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said speaker means includes a first speaker adapted to be mounted inside a vehicle and connected to said voice control means and a second speaker adapted to be mounted outside a vehicle and connected to said voice control means, said first and second speakers being responsive to said output signal for generating said vocal message.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said voice control means includes a voice recognition and synthesis means for converting said input signal in analog form to said vocal instruction signal in digital form.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said storage means includes a memory means for storing said voice recognition templates and a microcomputer connected between said voice control means and said memory means, said microcomputer being responsive to said vocal instruction signal for comparing said vocal instruction signal with each of said voice recognition templates and for generating said control signal in response to a correspondence between said vocal instruction signal and one of said plurality of voice recognition templates.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said storage means is responsive to a sensor input signal and said vocal instruction signal for generating said control signal to said voice control means and including sensor means adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and responsive to a vehicle condition for generating said sensor input signal.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said sensor means is adapted to be operably connected to an ignition switch of a vehicle and is responsive to a predetermined vocal instruction at one of said first and second microphones to enable said ignition switch.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein said sensor means includes a manually operable keypad means for generating a predetermined sensor input signal to said storage means to enable said ignition switch.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein said storage means stores an indicia of actuation of said sensor means and is responsive to prior actuation of said sensor means and to said vocal instruction signal for generating said control signal and wherein said vocal message includes said indicia of actuation of said sensor means.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein said storage means stores a record of a time of actuation of said sensor means and said vocal message includes an indication of the time of actuation of said sensor means.

10. A voice actuated vehicle security system comprising:

voice control means responsive to an input signal for generating a vocal instruction signal and responsive to a control signal for generating an output signal;

a first voice responsive means adapted to be mounted outside a vehicle and connected to said voice control means and responsive to a vocal instruction for generating said input signal;

a second voice responsive means adapted to be mounted inside a vehicle and connected to said voice control means and responsive to said vocal instruction for generating said input signal;

a first vocal message means connected to said voice control means and adapted to be mounted outside a vehicle and responsive to said output signal for generating a vocal message;

a second vocal message means connected to said voice control means and adapted to be mounted inside a vehicle and responsive to said output signal for generating said vocal message; and

storage means connected to said voice control means and responsive to said vocal instruction signal for generating said control signal.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein said vocal instruction represents an operator request to enter an armed mode of operation, said vocal message represents a response to a predetermined vehicle condition occurring during the armed mode of operation, and said storage means is connected to sensor means, said sensor means generating a sensor signal in response to sensing said predetermined vehicle condition and said storage means generating said control signal in response to said sensor signal.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein said first and second voice responsive means are microphones.

13. The system according to claim 12 including a microphone input circuit connected between said voice control means and said first and second microphones for passing said input signal and for selectively blocking said input signal in response to a circuit control signal generated by said voice control means.

14. The system according to claim 10 wherein said first and second voice responsive means are microphones, said first and second vocal message means are speakers and said voice control means is a voice recognition and synthesis unit.

15. The system according to claim 10 wherein said first and second vocal message means are speakers.

16. The system according to claim 15 including a speaker output circuit connected between said voice control means and said first and second speakers for passing said output signal and for selectively blocking said output signal in response to a circuit control signal generated by said voice control means.

17. The system according to claim 10 wherein said vocal instruction includes a first vocal instruction and said vocal message includes a first vocal message associated with said first vocal instruction and indicating that said first vocal instruction has been received by said voice control means.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein said vocal instruction includes a second vocal instruction and said storage means is responsive to said second vocal instruction to enter an armed mode of operation only when said second vocal instruction is received by said voice control means within a predetermined time after said first vocal instruction is received.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein said vocal message includes a second vocal message indicating that said armed mode of operation has been entered.

20. The system according to claim 10 wherein said storage means includes a memory circuit for storing a plurality of voice recognition templates including at least two sets of vocal instructions for two different vehicle operators.

21. A voice actuated vehicle security system comprising:

a first microphone adapted to be mounted outside a vehicle and responsive to a vocal instruction for generating an input signal;

a second microphone adapted to be mounted inside a vehicle and responsive to said vocal instruction for generating said input signal;

a first speaker adapted to be mounted outside a vehicle and responsive to an output signal for generating a vocal message;

a second speaker adapted to be mounted inside a vehicle and responsive to said output signal for generating said vocal message;

a voice control means connected to said first and second microphones and to said first and second speakers and responsive to said input signal for generating a vocal instruction signal and responsive to a control signal for generating said output signal;

a memory circuit for storing voice recognition templates;

a microcomputer connected to said memory circuit and to said voice control means and responsive to at least one of a correspondence between said voice instruction signal and one of said voice recognition templates and a sensor signal for generating said control signal; and

a sensor means for generating said sensor signal in response to a predetermined vehicle condition.