Vehicle output based on local language/dialect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11437018-B2
Application number	US-202016818318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2020
Priority date	Mar 13, 2020
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

Described herein are systems, methods, and computer readable media for dynamically determining a language variant to use for vehicle output to a vehicle occupant based on the vehicle's location. A geographic region may include multiple sub-regions, each of which may be associated with a respective one or more language variants. As an example, a geographic region may be a state or province, and each sub-region may have one or more dialects that are spoken by individuals in that sub-region. In some cases, a particular dialect may be predominant in a given sub-region. As a vehicle traverses a travel path, it may determine its current location, which geographic sub-region includes that location, and which language variant (e.g., dialect) is predominant there. That language variant may then be selected for in-vehicle communication with a vehicle occupant. The vehicle location determination may be made at or near where the occupant entered the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting and presenting vehicle output in a particular language variant depending on an identity of an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving location data indicative of a current location of the vehicle;
dynamically determining that a first language variant corresponding to a first occupant is associated with the current location of the vehicle;
determining that a second occupant has entered the vehicle;
determining that the first occupant has exited the vehicle either prior to or after the second occupant has entered the vehicle;
determining whether a user profile for the second occupant exists;
in response to determining that the user profile exists:
determining that the user profile indicates a preference for a second language variant that is different from the first language variant;
switching the vehicle output from the first language variant to the second language variant; and
switching the vehicle output from the first language variant to the second language variant.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically determining that the first language variant is associated with the current location of the vehicle comprises:
identifying a group of geographic regions, each of which is associated with a respective language variant;
determining a particular geographic region that includes the current location of the vehicle; and
determining that the first language variant corresponds to the particular geographic region based at least in part on a stored association between the first language variant and the particular geographic region.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first occupant of the vehicle lacks an existing user profile, and wherein the current location of the vehicle is a location that is within a predetermined radius of a location at which the first occupant entered the vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the current location of the vehicle is a first location, the method further comprising:
in response to determining that the user profile for the second occupant is nonexistent:
receiving location data indicative of a second location of the vehicle, wherein the second location is a location that is within a predetermined radius of a location at which the second occupant entered the vehicle;
determining that the second location is associated with a third language variant that is different from the first language variant; and
switching the vehicle output from the first language variant to the third language variant.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein determining that the second location is associated with a third language variant that is different from the first language variant comprises:
determining a first geographic region that includes the first location;
determining that the first language variant corresponds to the first geographic region based at least in part on a stored association between the first language variant and the first geographic region;
determining that a second geographic region includes the second location; and
determining that the second language variant corresponds to the second geographic region based at least in part on a stored association between the second language variant and the second geographic region.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the second location is outside of a boundary of the first geographic region.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the first geographic region and the second geographic region include an overlapping sub-region that includes the second location, the method further comprising selecting the second language variant for the vehicle output based at least in part on a navigation route of the vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein selecting the second language variant for the vehicle output based at least in part on a navigation route of the vehicle comprises determining that the vehicle is travelling along a portion of the navigation route that extends out of the overlapping sub-region and into another sub-region of the second geographic region that does not overlap with the first geographic region.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving sensor data from one or more sensor on-board the vehicle;
analyzing the sensor data to determine a quantitative metric indicative of a sentiment of the first occupant of the vehicle to the first language variant; and
modifying or creating a user profile for the first occupant of the vehicle that indicates the sentiment of the first occupant of the vehicle to the first language variant.

10. A system for selecting and presenting vehicle output in a particular language variant depending on an identity of a vehicle occupant, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:
receive location data indicative of a current location of the vehicle;
dynamically determine that a first language variant corresponding to a first occupant is associated with the current location of the vehicle;
determine that a second occupant has entered the vehicle;
determine that the first occupant has exited the vehicle either prior to or after the second occupant has entered the vehicle;
determine whether a user profile for the second occupant exists;
in response to determining that the user profile exists:
determine that the user profile indicates a preference for a second language variant that is different from the first language variant;
switch the vehicle output from the first language variant to the second language variant; and
switch the vehicle output from the first language variant to the second language variant.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to dynamically determine that the first language variant is associated with the current location of the vehicle by executing the computer-executable instructions to:
identify a group of geographic regions, each of which is associated with a respective language variant;
determine a particular geographic region that includes the current location of the vehicle; and
determine that the first language variant corresponds to the particular geographic region based at least in part on a stored association between the first language variant and the particular geographic region.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first occupant of the vehicle lacks an existing user profile, and wherein the current location of the vehicle is a location that is within a predetermined radius of a location at which the first occupant entered the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the current location of the vehicle is a first location, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
in response to determining determine that the user profile for the second occupant is nonexistent:
receive location data indicative of a second location of the vehicle, wherein the second location is a location that is within a predetermined radius of a location at which the second occupant entered the vehicle;
determine that the second location is associated with a third language variant that is different from the first language variant; and
switch the vehicle output from the first language variant to the third language variant.

Assignees

• Pony Ai Inc

Inventors

• Diehl Peter G
• Dingli Robert

Classifications

• G10L15/005 Primary

  Language recognition · CPC title

• G10L15/1815

  Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning · CPC title

• G10L2015/227

  of the speaker; Human-factor methodology · CPC title

• G06F16/9537

  Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries · CPC title

• G10L15/22

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