Emotive advisory system including time agent

• US 8,400,332 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Szwabowski, Steven Joseph, MacNeille, Perry Robinson
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US12/702,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/996
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

An emotive advisory system for use by one or more occupants of an automotive vehicle includes a computer. The computer is configured to receive input indicative of an operating state of the vehicle. The computer determines at least one of a need to provide time information to an occupant based on the operating state of the vehicle and an occupant request to provide time information to the occupant. The computer generates data representing an avatar having an appearance, and data representing a spoken statement for the avatar. The spoken statement provides time information to the occupant in spoken dialog based on at least one of the need and the request. The computer outputs data representing the avatar for visual display, and data representing the statement for the avatar for audio play.

Claims

1. An emotive advisory system for a vehicle comprising:

a computer configured to

receive input indicative of an operating state of the vehicle,

determine a need to provide time information to an occupant based on the operating state of the vehicle and a previous command received as spoken dialog input indicative of an alarm set by the occupant,

generate data representing an avatar having an appearance and data representing a spoken statement for the avatar, the spoken statement providing time information to the occupant in spoken dialog based on the need,

output the data representing the avatar for visual display, and

output the data representing the statement for the avatar for play.

2. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to:

provide a natural language interface for communication with the occupant.

3. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the appearance and the spoken statement convey a simulated emotional state of the avatar to the occupant.

4. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine the time information provided in the spoken statement based on the need, and further based on learned user preferences.

5. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine the time information provided in the spoken statement based on the need, and further based on context information.

6. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the previous command is further indicative of an urgency for the alarm.

7. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to:

communicate with a navigation system of the automotive vehicle,

wherein the spoken statement provides time information to the occupant in spoken dialog based in part on information obtained from the navigation system.

8. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to:

communicate with a global positioning system of the automotive vehicle,

wherein the spoken statement provides time information to the occupant in spoken dialog based in part on information obtained from the global positioning system.

9. The emotive advisory system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to:

communicate with a time application server separate from the automotive vehicle,

wherein the spoken statement provides time information to the occupant in spoken dialog based in part on information obtained from the time application server.

10. An advisory system for a vehicle comprising:

a computer configured to

determine a need to provide time information to an occupant based on an operating state of the vehicle and a previous command received as spoken dialog input indicative of an alarm set by the occupant,

generate data representing a spoken statement providing time information to the occupant in spoken dialog based on the need, and

output the data representing the statement for play.

11. The advisory system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured to:

provide a natural language interface for communication with the occupant.

12. The advisory system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine the time information provided in the spoken statement based on the need, and further based on user preferences.

13. The advisory system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine the time information provided in the spoken statement based on the need, and further based on context information.

14. The advisory system of claim 10 wherein the previous command is further indicative of an urgency for the alarm.