Vehicle-based remote control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11289088-B2
Application number	US-202016778552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Oct 5, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A remote control system of a vehicle is configured to control a remote device via a first electronic device. The first electronic device is configured to control the transmission of a semi-generic user voice command and the voice command is updated based on one or more spoken words generating an updated voice command. The remote control system comprises a second electronic device in communication with the first electronic device. A controller is configured to prompt the first electronic device to cause the updated voice command to be accessed and transmitted to a remote device controller located remotely from the vehicle in response to the input from a user-input mechanism of the second electronic device. The remote device controller processes the updated voice command, generates a control command based on the updated voice command, and executes the control command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote control system of a vehicle, configured to control a remote device via a first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device is configured to control the transmission of a semi-generic user voice command in an application, wherein the semi-generic voice command is updated based on one or more spoken words thereby generating an updated voice command; and wherein the remote control system comprises:
a second electronic device in communication with the first electronic device and disposed in the vehicle, the second electronic device comprising:
a user-input mechanism comprising at least one actuatable member, wherein the at least one actuatable member is configured to receive an input; and
a controller configured to prompt the first electronic device to cause the updated voice command to be accessed and transmitted to a remote device controller located remotely from the vehicle in response to the input from the user-input mechanism, wherein the remote device controller processes the updated voice command, generates a control command based on the updated voice command, and executes the control command for an action specified by the updated voice command.

2. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is incorporated in a portion of a rearview mirror assembly or console of the vehicle.

3. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the semi-generic voice command comprises a voice instruction to a voice-controlled electronic assistant.

4. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the first electronic device to access the updated voice command from the application operating on the first electronic device and transmit the updated voice command to the remote device controller.

5. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the updated voice command is pre-recorded and stored on a host server, wherein the electronic communication transmitted from the first electronic device includes an instruction prompting the host server to transmit the updated voice command to the remote device controller.

6. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the updated voice command is assigned to the at least one actuatable member of the user-input mechanism and is transmitted to the remote device controller in response to the actuation of the at least one actuatable member.

7. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the control command is for controlling one or more smart devices located remotely from the vehicle.

8. The remote control system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more smart devices comprises a voice-controlled smart device connected to the remote device controller over an internet.

9. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the control command is configured to request information from one or more smart devices located remotely from the vehicle.

10. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the control command is configured to request a service from a web-based service provider.

11. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein in response to executing the control command, an auditory feedback is played over a speaker of the second electronic device or the controller of the second electronic device is configured to control a speaker of the vehicle to output the auditory feedback.

12. The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device further comprises one or more visual indicators configured to indicate a visual notification that the control command is executed.

13. A remote control system in communication with a first electronic device, the remote control system comprising:
a remote device controller remotely located from the first electronic device, wherein the remote device controller is configured to:
receive an updated voice command via a communication initiated from the first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device is in communication with a second electronic device disposed in a vehicle, wherein the updated voice command comprises a semi-generic voice command updated based on one or more spoken words, and wherein the first electronic device is configured to:
receive a prompt from a second electronic device, wherein the prompt is one of a plurality of programmable instructions communicated from a controller of the second electronic device in response to an input received by a user input mechanism of the second electronic device;
in response to receiving the prompt from the first electronic device, cause the updated voice command to be accessed and transmitted to the remote device controller located remotely from the vehicle; and

in response to receiving the updated voice command, the remote device controller processes the updated voice command, generates a control command based on the updated user voice command, and executes the control command for an action specified by the updated user voice command.

14. The remote control system according to claim 13 , wherein user input mechanism is accessible in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

15. The remote control system of claim 13 , wherein the second electronic device is incorporated in a portion of a rearview mirror assembly or console of the vehicle.

16. The remote control system of claim 13 , wherein the semi-generic voice command comprises a voice instruction to a voice-activated electronic assistant.

17. The remote control system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first electronic device to access the updated voice command from the application operating on the first electronic device and transmit the updated voice command to the remote device controller.

18. The remote control system of claim 13 , wherein the updated voice command is pre-recorded and stored on a host server, wherein the electronic communication transmitted from the first electronic device includes an instruction prompting the host server to transmit the updated voice command to the remote device controller.

19. A method for operating a remote control system for a vehicle, the method comprising:
recording one or more spoken words thereby generating a pre-recorded user voice command, wherein the one or more spoken words of the pre-recorded user voice command identify a device controlled by the remote control system;
generating an update voice command by combining the pre-recorded voice command with a semi-generic voice command, wherein the semi-generic voice command is updated based on the one or more spoken words thereby generating an updated voice command configured to control the device;
controlling a mobile electronic device to initiate a communication of the updated voice command to a remote device controller of the remote control system, wherein the mobile electronic device is controlled to initiate the communication of the updated voice command in response to a prompt from a vehicle accessory disposed in the vehicle, wherein the prompt is one of a plurality of programmable instructions communicated from a controller of the vehicle accessory in response to an input received by a user input mechanism of the vehicle accessory; and
in response to receiving updated voice command, generating with the remote device controller a device specific command configured to control an operation of the device based on the semi-generic voice command and the pre-recorded user voice command.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the updated voice command is pre-recorded and stored on

Assignees

• Gentex Corp

Inventors

• Goote Nicholas J
• Geerlings Steven L
• Wright Thomas S

Classifications

• G10L15/30

  Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications · CPC title

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title