Agent device, agent system, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11790907-B2
Application number	US-202117158056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2021
Priority date	Jan 29, 2020
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

An agent device that receives, from an onboard device installed in a vehicle, vehicle information relating to the vehicle and question information corresponding to a question from a user, based on the vehicle information, confirms a scope of questions for which generation of a response is not possible, and instructs the onboard device to block receipt of questions falling within the scope of questions for which it has been confirmed that response generation is not possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agent device comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive, from an onboard device installed in a vehicle, vehicle information relating to the vehicle and question information corresponding to a question from a user,
search a database storing a status of correspondence between the received vehicle information and manuals storing responses for each vehicle,
based on existence or non-existence of manuals corresponding to the vehicle information, confirm a scope of questions for which generation of a response is not possible at a time of start-up of the vehicle,
instruct the onboard device to block receipt via a user interface by controlling a display of the onboard device to gray out an input button relating to questions falling within the scope of questions for which it has been confirmed that response generation is not possible before accepting the question from the user in advance; and
when the generation of the response is possible has been confirmed at the time of start-up of the vehicle, instruct the onboard device to provide, via the user interface, the response to the question, wherein the response is generated based on the manual.

2. An agent system comprising:
an agent device that includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive, from an onboard device installed in a vehicle, vehicle information relating to the vehicle and question information corresponding to a question from a user,
search a database storing a status of correspondence between the received vehicle information and manuals storing responses for each vehicle,
based on existence or non-existence of manuals corresponding to the vehicle information, confirm a scope of questions for which generation of a response is not possible at a time of start-up of the vehicle,
instruct the onboard device to block receipt via a user interface by controlling a display of the onboard device to gray out an input button relating to questions falling within the scope of questions for which it has been confirmed that response generation is not possible before accepting the question from the user in advance; and
when the generation of the response is possible has been confirmed at the time of start-up of the vehicle, instruct the onboard device to provide, via the user interface, the response to the question, wherein the response is generated based on the manual.

3. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program that is executable by a computer to perform processing, the processing comprising:
receiving, from an onboard device installed in a vehicle, vehicle information relating to the vehicle on at a time of start-up of the vehicle, and receiving question information corresponding to a question from a user,
searching a database storing a status of correspondence between the received vehicle information and manuals storing responses for each vehicle,
based on existence or non-existence of manuals corresponding to the vehicle information, confirming a scope of questions for which generation of a response is not possible at a time of start-up of the vehicle; and
instructing the onboard device to block receipt via a user interface by controlling a display of the onboard device to gray out an input button relating to questions falling within the scope of questions for which it has been confirmed that response generation is not possible before accepting the question from the user in advance; and
when the generation of the response is possible has been confirmed at the time of start-up of the vehicle, instruct the onboard device to provide, via the user interface, the response to the question, wherein the response is generated based on the manual.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maeda Eiichi
• Kubo Chikage
• Nakano Keiko
• Nishizawa Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/85

  Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title