Emotive advisory system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10839583-B2
Application number	US-201715722977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2017
Priority date	Apr 26, 2007
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Information about a device may be emotively conveyed to a user of the device. Input indicative of an operating state of the device may be received. The input may be transformed into data representing a simulated emotional state. Data representing an avatar that expresses the simulated emotional state may be generated and displayed. A query from the user regarding the simulated emotional state expressed by the avatar may be received. The query may be responded to.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
receiving input indicative of an operating state of a device;
transforming the input into data representing a simulated emotional state;
generating data representing an avatar that expresses the simulated emotional state, the simulated emotional state conveying information to a user about the operating state of the device;
displaying the avatar;
receiving a query from the user regarding the simulated emotional state expressed by the avatar; and
responding to the query.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, responsive to occurrence of a predetermined event, initiating a spoken dialog with the user regarding the operating state of the device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the spoken dialog includes at least one speech characteristic indicative of the simulated emotional slate expressed by the avatar.

4. A method for emotively conveying information to a user of an automotive vehicle comprising:
receiving input indicative of an operating state of the vehicle;
transforming the input into data representing a simulated emotional state;
generating data representing a spoken statement that expresses the simulated emotional state, the simulated emotional state conveying information to the user about the operating state of the vehicle;
playing the spoken statement;
receiving a query from the user regarding the simulated emotional state; and
responding to the query.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising, responsive to occurrence of a predetermined event, initiating a spoken dialog with the user regarding the operating state of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the spoken dialog includes at least one speech characteristic indicative of the simulated emotional state expressed by the avatar.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Filev Dimitar Petrov
• Gusikhin Oleg Yurievitch
• Klampfl Erica
• Chen Yifan
• Syed Fazal Urrahman
• Macneille Perry
• Schunder Mark
• Giuli Thomas
• Tonshal Basavaraj

Classifications

• B60W50/10 Primary

  Interpretation of driver requests or demands · CPC title

• A61B5/744

  Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character · CPC title

• G06T13/205

  driven by audio data · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06N3/006

  based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO] · CPC title