Controller for use with a motor vehicle

• US 7,571,102 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Vandivier, Karl Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEN, ERIC L
• Application Number:
  US10/249,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,289 Days
• Field of Search: 704270-275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L

Abstract

A controller for use in a vehicle having a number of modules that can listen to a microphone signal. The controller comprises a router and a microprocessor. The controller can route the microphone signal to each of the modules. The microprocessor can authorize at least one of the modules to listen to the microphone signal.

Claims

1. A controller for use in a vehicle having a number of modules configured to operate as a function of information carried in a microphone signal, wherein each module includes voice recognition capabilities that allow the modules to translate the microphone signal into a command signal sufficient to control operation of the module, the controller comprising:

a router configured to receive the microphone signal from a microphone in the vehicle and to simultaneously route the microphone signal to each of the modules such that each module receives the same microphone signals prior to the microphone signals being translated into command signals; and

a microprocessor for transmitting a microphone authorization signal for authorizing one of the modules to process the routed microphone signal such that only the authorized module processes the microphone signal, wherein the processing of the microphone signals includes translating the microphone signals into command signals sufficient to control operation of the module.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to select the module having a highest priority value based on a predefined priority value for each module and to authorize the module having the highest priority value to process the microphone signal.

3. The controller of claim 2 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone request signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone request signals to process the microphone signal.

4. The controller of claim 3 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit microphone inquiry signals to the modules for enabling each module to transmit the microphone request signal, and wherein the microprocessor is further configured to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules enabled to communicate the microphone request signals to process the microphone signal.

5. The controller of claim 2 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone interrupt signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone interrupt signals to process the microphone signal in place of the module previously authorized to process the microphone signal.

6. The controller of claim 2 wherein the router is configured to receive audio signals from each of the modules and to route only one of the received audio signal to an audio bus in the vehicle.

7. The controller of claim 6 wherein the microprocessor is configured to select the module having a highest priority value based on a predefined priority value for each module and to authorize the module having the highest priority value to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

8. The controller of claim 7 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio request signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value and to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

9. The controller of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio request signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating audio request signals to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

10. The controller of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit audio inquiry signals to the modules for prompting each module to transmit the audio request signal, and wherein the microprocessor is farther configured to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating audio request signals to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

11. The controller of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio interrupt signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating audio interrupt signals to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus in place of the module previously authorized to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

12. A system, the system comprising:

a vehicle having a number of modules configured to support voice recognition, the voice recognition being used to translate information carried in a microphone signal into module control commands; and

a controller configured to receive the microphone signal and simultaneously route the received microphone signal to each of the modules so that each module receives the same microphone signal, and which is further configured for transmitting a microphone authorization signal for authorizing one of the modules to translate the microphone signal, the authorized module translating the microphone signal into a module control command and automatically executing the translated command without requiring further authorization from the controller.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller further comprises a microprocessor configured to select the module having a highest priority value based on a predefined priority value for each module and to authorize the module having the highest priority value to process the microphone signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone request signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone request signals to process the microphone signal.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit microphone inquiry signals to the modules for enabling each module to transmit the microphone request signal, and wherein the microprocessor is further configured to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone request signals to process the microphone signal.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive microphone interrupt signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules communicating microphone interrupt signals to process the microphone signal in place of the module previously authorized to process the microphone signal.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the router is configured to receive audio signals from each of the modules and to route only one of the received audio signal to an audio bus in the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the microprocessor is configured to select the module having a highest priority value based on a predefined priority value for each module and to authorize the module having the highest priority value to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio request signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value to communicate audio signals for routing to the audio bus.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive audio request signals from the modules and to authorize the module having the highest priority value out of the modules enabled to communicate the audio request signals to process the microphone signal.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller authorizes the at least one module without assessing a relevance of the translated command to the authorized module.

22. A method for use in a vehicle having a number of modules configured to translate audible signals into module control commands, the method comprising:

routing the audible signals to each of the modules, each module receiving the same audible signals;

preventing the modules from translating the received audible signals until authorized; and

authorizing at least one of the modules prevented from translating the audible signals to translate the audible signals, the non-authorized modules never translate the received audible signals.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising authorizing the at least one of the modules to translate the audible signals with signals communicated from an arbitrator, wherein the arbitrator authorizes the at least one module before the audible signal is translated by any of the modules.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the arbitrator authorizing the at least one module without assessing a relevance of the translated module control command to the at least one authorized module.