Outer-parking function voice control

Abstract

Techniques are provided for out-of-cabin voice control of parking vehicle functionality. In some aspects, the techniques include an electronic device that can transition from a power-off state to a power-on state when the vehicle is parked in response to a first presence signal, where the device is integrated in the vehicle. The electronic device may also determine, in response to the second presence signal, that the entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle. The electronic device may also receive an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated in the vehicle. The electronic device may use the audio signal to determine the presence of a defined command in the speech. The electronic device may then cause the actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command. Performing the operation causes a change in state of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 318,966, filed on March 11, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Voice control of various functions of the vehicle may be accomplished using speech uttered within the vehicle cabin. Some of these functions may be voice controlled in this manner while the vehicle is in motion. Examples of these functions include multimedia control, navigation control, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) control, voice call control, messaging control, and lighting control.

[0004] While voice control of active vehicle functions can provide comfort and safety during vehicle travel, reliance on speech emanating from within the vehicle cabin may limit voice control to functions that are not relevant to the travel setting. However, such an arrangement is an integral part of the travel itself. As a result, ordinary voice control of the vehicle cannot control the entire driving experience of the vehicle, which may ultimately reduce the practicality of the vehicle's travel or the versatility of the vehicle itself.

[0005] Therefore, there is still much room for improvement in voice control technology for parking vehicle functions. Summary of the invention

[0006] One aspect includes a method, comprising, when a vehicle is parked, in response to a first presence signal, switching an electronic device from a powered-off state to a powered-on state, wherein the electronic device is integrated into the vehicle. The method also includes determining, in response to a second presence signal, that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle. The method may also optionally include the electronic device causing a microphone integrated into the vehicle to switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state. Alternatively, in some cases, the microphone may already be in a powered-on state. The method also includes receiving an audio signal representing speech from the microphone; determining, by the electronic device, the presence of a defined command in the speech using the audio signal; and causing, by the electronic device, the actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

[0007] Another aspect includes an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing processor-executable instructions, wherein in response to execution of the at least one processor, the executable instructions cause the apparatus to: transition from a power-off state to a power-on state in response to a first presence signal when the vehicle is parked, wherein the apparatus is integrated into the vehicle; determine, in response to a second presence signal, that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receive an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated into the vehicle; determine, using the audio signal, that a defined command is present in the speech; and cause an actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

[0008] Other aspects include a vehicle, comprising: an electronic device configured to: when the vehicle is parked, switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state in response to a first presence signal, wherein the device is integrated into the vehicle; determine, in response to a second presence signal, that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receive an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated into the vehicle; use the audio signal to determine the presence of a defined command in the speech; and cause an actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

[0009] This summary is not intended to emphasize any particular aspect of the disclosed technology. It is also not intended to limit the scope of such technology in any way. This summary simply covers several aspects of the many aspects of the disclosure as a direct introduction to the more detailed description below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and are incorporated into this specification. The accompanying drawings illustrate example aspects of the present disclosure and, in conjunction with the following detailed description, are used to at least partially explain various principles, features or aspects of the present disclosure. Some aspects of the present disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the implementations described herein. The same numbers always refer to the same elements.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an out-of-cabin voice control of a parking vehicle function according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2A is a block diagram of an example of a system for exterior voice control of a parked vehicle according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2B is a block diagram of an example of another system for exterior voice control of a parked vehicle according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example of a control device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4A is a block diagram of an example of a system for exterior voice control of a parked vehicle according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4B is a block diagram of an example of another system for exterior voice control of a parked vehicle according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of a system for exterior voice control of a parked vehicle according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example of a method for controlling a function of a parked vehicle using an external voice according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 7 is a flow chart of an example of another method for controlling a function of a parked vehicle using an external voice according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Among other technical challenges, the present disclosure recognizes and addresses the problem of controlling parked vehicle functions by using speech from outside the cabin of the parked vehicle. Using speech uttered within the cabin of the vehicle may enable universal voice control of various vehicle functions. While voice control of operating vehicle functions may provide comfort and safety during vehicle travel, reliance on speech uttered within the cabin of the vehicle may limit voice control to functions that are not relevant to the travel setting. As a result, ordinary voice control of the vehicle is unable to control the entire driving experience of the vehicle, which may ultimately reduce the practicality of driving the vehicle and / or the versatility of the vehicle itself.

[0021] As described in more detail below, aspects of the present disclosure include methods, electronic devices, and systems that individually or collectively allow voice control of vehicle functions through voice commands issued outside the vehicle. The voice control aspects described herein may use one or more microphones integrated into the vehicle. In some cases, the microphone may be part of other subsystems present in the vehicle, such as for in-vehicle hands-free applications or road noise cancellation applications. In order to reduce the occurrence of false positive voice recognition, voice recognition may be implemented when an object associated with the vehicle is nearby and close to the vehicle, or keyword recognition may be implemented in some cases. By implementing voice recognition in this case, according to aspects of the present disclosure, the vehicle's out-of-cabin voice control is energy-efficient, and charge is extracted from an energy storage device integrated in the vehicle in situations that may cause the vehicle to receive a voice command, rather than continuously extracting charge. Specifically, the microphone and the electronic device that implements voice command detection may be powered on in response to an object associated with the vehicle being near and close to the vehicle. In some cases, the attenuation of the sound audio signal from outside the vehicle to inside the vehicle may be compensated by an amplifier device and / or an equalizer device, which may be disabled if the window, door, or trunk is open.

[0022] In response to detecting a voice command in speech emitted from outside the vehicle, an actuator device integrated in the vehicle may be instructed to perform an operation corresponding to the voice command. In some cases, a voice profile corresponding to the speech emitted from outside the vehicle may be verified before causing the actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command. In this way, a permitted or otherwise whitelisted subject may be allowed to execute the voice command.

[0023] Aspects of the present disclosure allow contactless voice control of a parked vehicle from outside the vehicle, thereby allowing a trip to be set directly in the vehicle. This voice control is contactless because it does not involve contact with the vehicle before executing the voice command. In addition, in some cases, voice control can be provided exclusively to permitted subjects. Therefore, unauthorized control of the vehicle cannot be achieved. In many cases, it is beneficial to avoid unauthorized control of the vehicle. For example, in law enforcement, the vehicle can be a patrol car and one or more police officers can be authorized to control functions of the vehicle using voice from outside the vehicle.

[0024] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram 100 illustrating a time progression of an example of voice control of operation of a vehicle 104 using speech from outside a cabin of the vehicle 104 in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Although the vehicle 104 is depicted as an automobile, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard, and other types of vehicles, such as agricultural equipment, may also implement and benefit from outside cabin voice control in accordance with the present disclosure. The vehicle 104 may be parked, and an object 106 may approach the vehicle 104. An arrow toward the vehicle 104 indicates that the object 106 is moving toward the vehicle 104. The object 106 may carry a hardware token 150 that may emit low-power electromagnetic (EM) radiation (e.g., a radio frequency (RF) signal) within a particular portion of the EM radiation spectrum. The hardware token 150 may be embodied, for example, in a key fob having a transponder, a smartphone, or another type of portable device having circuitry that emits low-power EM radiation. For example, the hardware token 150 may emit low-power EM radiation nearly continuously or periodically. As Figure 1 As shown, in some cases, when subject 106 approaches vehicle 104 , both hands of subject 106 may be occupied by object 160 .

[0025] The object 106 and the hardware token 150 may arrive at a first range from the vehicle. For example, the object 106 may arrive at the first range at time t. The first range may correspond to a detection range 107 of a first detector device integrated into the vehicle 104. The first detector device may be part of a plurality of detector devices 120 integrated into the vehicle 104. The first detector device may sense RF signals (e.g., pilot signals) and / or other types of EM radiation emitted by the hardware token 150. The first detector device may generally be referred to as a key fob detector.

[0026] Thus, the first detector device can sense the hardware token 150, and in response, can generate a presence signal indicating that the hardware token 150 is within the detection range 107. The first detector device can provide (e.g., send or otherwise provide) the presence signal to a control device 110 integrated in the vehicle 104. The control device 110 is an electronic device that includes computing resources and other functional elements. The computing resources include, for example, one or more processors or processing circuits, and one or more memory devices or storage circuits. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the control device 110 can have one of various form factors and constitute an external voice control subsystem. In some cases, the control device 110 can be assembled in a dedicated package or board. In other cases, the control device 110 can be assembled in the same package or board of another subsystem present in the vehicle 104, such as a road noise cancellation subsystem or an infotainment subsystem.

[0027] The control device 110 may receive a presence signal from a first detector device (e.g., one of the plurality of detector devices 120). In response to receiving the presence signal, the control device 110 may be activated. That is, the presence signal may cause at least a portion of the control device 110 to switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state. In some cases, such as Figure 2A As shown, the control device 110 may include a start module 220 that may receive the presence signal and may energize the control device 110 in response to the presence signal. For example, the control device 110 may be powered by an energy storage device ( Figure 1 Charge is extracted from the PCB (not shown) to energize the device.

[0028] The control device 110 may monitor other presence signals corresponding to a second detector device integrated into the vehicle 104. For example, the second detector device may be part of a parking assistance system, and the other presence signals may indicate corresponding echoes of ultrasonic waves. The second detector device may have a second detection range 108 that is smaller than the first detection range 107 of the first detector device. The second detection range 108 may be, for example, a distance of about 4 m to about 6 m. Such presence signals may indicate that an entity, such as the object 106, is near the vehicle 104 and is also approaching the vehicle 104. Therefore, using these other presence signals, the control device 110 may determine whether the entity (e.g., the object 106) is near the vehicle 104 and / or is approaching the vehicle 104. More specifically, the control device 110 receiving a presence signal from the second detector device may indicate that the entity is at or within the second detection range 108. Therefore, in response to receiving such a presence signal, the control device 110 may determine that the entity is near the vehicle 104. In other words, in the case where the entity is at or within the second detection range, the entity is considered to be close to the vehicle 104, and thus close to the control device 110. Conversely, the absence of such a presence signal received at the control device 110 may indicate that there is no entity near the vehicle 104. In some cases, such as Figure 2A As shown, the control device 110 may include a motion monitoring module 230 that may receive a presence signal from a second detector device (eg, a parking aid device). In response to receiving such a presence signal, the motion monitoring module 230 may determine that an entity is nearby and approaching the vehicle 104 .

[0029] like Figure 1As shown, as the object 106 continues to approach the vehicle 104, the control device 110 can determine that the object 106 is near the vehicle 104 and is approaching the vehicle 104. In this case, the object can be within the second detection range 108. For example, the control device 110 can determine that the object 106 is near the vehicle 140 and is approaching the vehicle 104 at time t'. The time t' can be after t. In order to determine that the object 106 is near the vehicle 104 and is approaching the vehicle 104, in some cases, the motion monitor 230 can receive a series of presence signals over time, and based on the sequence, the motion monitor 230 can determine that the entity (e.g., the object 106) is approaching the vehicle. The signals in the presence signal sequence can be separated in time with increasingly shorter time intervals, which can indicate an entity approaching the vehicle 104. In response to such a determination, the control device 110 can power on (or energize) one or more microphones 130 integrated in the vehicle 104. At that time, the control device 110 can cause the microphone 130 to switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state. For example, the control device 110 may start the module 220 ( Figure 2A ) sends a command to the microphone 130 to switch from the power-off state to the power-on state. For example, the microphone 130 can be powered by an energy storage device ( Figure 1 It should be noted that microphone 130 may be powered on at other times and / or by other mechanisms. For example, microphone 130 may be powered on by a first detector device in response to detecting hardware token 150. Alternatively, in some cases, microphone 130 may already be in a powered-on state.

[0030] In some cases, microphone 130 may be present within the cabin of vehicle 104. For example, microphone 130 may be mounted on a steering wheel or seat assembly of vehicle 104. In example scenarios where microphone 130 includes multiple microphones, the microphones may be distributed within the cabin of vehicle 104. In other cases, such as Figure 4A As shown, microphone 130 can be assembled to the body of vehicle 104 and can face the exterior of vehicle 104. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to the placement of microphones. In fact, as Figure 4B As shown, both the cabin-mounted microphone 130 and the body-mounted microphone 410 may be used to implement the exterior voice control of a parked vehicle as described herein.

[0031] After at least one of the microphones 130 is powered on, the control device 110 may receive an audio signal from the microphone 130. For example, such a time may be a time t' after t", or may be the same as t'. The audio signal may represent speech. The subject 106 may speak speech outside the cabin of the vehicle 104. The speech may include one or more utterances 170 in a particular natural language (e.g., English, German, Spanish, or Portuguese). In an example scenario where the microphone 130 is a digital microphone, the control device 110 may include a transceiver device 210 ( Figure 2A ). The transceiver device 210 can receive audio signals formatted according to an automotive audio bus or another type of digital audio bus standard. In addition, because the speech is emitted outside the vehicle 104, and in some cases, the microphone 130 is a microphone installed in the vehicle cabin, the control device 110 can apply defined amplification and / or equalization to the received audio signal. Such amplification and / or equalization can compensate for attenuation of audio signals propagating from outside the vehicle 104 into the vehicle 104. Signal attenuation may be caused by acoustic damping caused by the closure of the vehicle cabin 104; for example, the doors, windows, and trunk are all closed. To compensate for the attenuation of the audio signal, the control device 110 may include an amplifier / equalizer module 240 ( Figure 2A ).

[0032] The control device 110 may then determine whether a defined command exists in the speech within the one or more utterances 170. That is, the control device 110 may detect a voice command (e.g., a defined command) within the utterance 170. For example, the control device 110 detects the defined command at time t'", which may be after t'. Examples of defined commands include "open the trunk", "close the trunk", "open the liftgate", "close the liftgate", "open the driver's door", "turn on the lights", "start the engine", etc. To determine whether the one or more utterances 170 include a defined command, the control device 110 may include a command detection module 250 ( Figure 2A ). Analyzing the audio signal may include applying a model 254 to the audio signal, wherein the model may be a speech recognition model or a keyword recognition model. In some cases, the result of analyzing the audio signal includes the defined command. Therefore, the control device 110 may determine that the defined command is present in one or more utterances 170. In other cases, the result of analyzing the audio signal does not include the defined command, and therefore the control device 110 may determine that the defined command is not present in one or more utterances 170.

[0033] In response to determining that a defined command is present in the speech, within one or more utterances 170, the control device 110 may cause the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command. In other words, in response to the presence of a defined command in the speech, the actuator device 140 may perform the defined command conveyed in the speech. Performing such an operation may change the state of the vehicle 104. For purposes of illustration, such a state refers to the state of the vehicle, which may be represented, for example, by a state variable within an onboard processing unit. Simply put, the command may be "open the liftgate," and the actuator device 140 may be a lock assembly of a liftgate 180 of the vehicle 104. Furthermore, the operation corresponding to the command "open the liftgate" may include releasing the lock on the liftgate 180. Thus, in response to the control device 110 detecting the command "open the liftgate," the control device 110 may instruct the actuator device 140 to open the liftgate. As a practical result, the cargo area of ​​the vehicle 104 may become accessible, and the object 106 may load the package 160 into the vehicle 104 in a contactless manner using speech. In some cases, such as Figure 2A As shown, the control device 110 may include an action module 270 , which may enable a plurality of participant devices 274 to perform respective operations, each operation corresponding to a specific defined command. The actuator device 140 may be included in the plurality of actuator devices 274 .

[0034] Under certain conditions, the control device 110 may not cause the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to a defined command. For example, a defined command may be detected at a time of day or location where it is unsafe to perform. Therefore, in certain circumstances, before causing the actuator device 140 to perform such an operation, the control device 110 (e.g., via the action module 270 ( Figure 2A )) can determine whether the acceptance conditions are met so that the vehicle 104 can accept the voice command. The acceptance conditions can define constraints to be met so that the control device 110, for example, through the action module 270 ( Figure 2A ) causes the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command. For example, the constraint may be a time constraint (e.g., time of day or time of week), a location-based constraint (e.g., a vehicle parked in a high crime rate area or an area with poor lighting), an ambient noise constraint (e.g., a noise level exceeding a threshold level), a combination thereof, or the like. In the event that the control device 110 determines that the acceptance condition is satisfied, the control device 110 causes the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command.

[0035] Additionally or in some cases, in response to detecting a defined command in speech within one or more utterances 170, the control device 110 may verify a speech profile corresponding to the speech before causing the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command. In this way, the control device 110 may allow a permitted or otherwise whitelisted object 106 to change the state of the vehicle 104 (e.g., from off to on). To this end, in some cases, the control device 110 may include a speech recognition module 260 ( Figure 2A ), which module can analyze the audio signal to classify the speech as having a valid profile or an invalid profile. The speech recognition module 260 can classify the speech in this manner by solving a binary classification task. For example, during the use of the vehicle 104, during a defined time period, the speech recognition module can be trained using an audio signal representing the speech emitted within the vehicle 104 cabin. When the speech recognition module 260 classifies the speech as having a valid profile, the speech including the defined command can be valid. In response to a determination that the speech profile is invalid, the control device 110 avoids instructing the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command. In the alternative, in response to a determination that the speech profile is valid, the control device 110 causes the actuator device 140 to perform an operation corresponding to the defined command, as described herein.

[0036] Because voice control according to aspects of the present disclosure is based on speech from outside the cabin of the vehicle 104, in some cases, voice recognition or keyword recognition may not be feasible. For example, in the case of elevated ambient noise, the control device 110 may not continue to analyze the audio signal. Instead, the control device 110 may implement an exception handling process, for example, the control device 110 may switch to an inactive state until the state of the vehicle 104 changes. Therefore, in some implementations, the control device 110 may determine whether to monitor the voice. To this end, the control device 110 may determine whether one or more conditions are met. This condition may be associated with the vehicle 104. In an example scenario, one or more conditions may be that the ambient noise level is less than or equal to a threshold level. The threshold level may be in the range of about 70 dB to 90 db. Therefore, after determining that an entity (e.g., object 106) is nearby and approaching the car, the control device 110 may determine whether the ambient noise level in the cabin of the vehicle 104 is less than or equal to the threshold level. For example, the vehicle 104 may be parked next to a construction site, a railway, or a highway, and therefore, the ambient noise in the cabin may exceed the threshold level. Additionally, or as another example, pet dogs may bark in the cabin in response to their caregivers approaching the vehicle 104, and thus, the ambient noise in the cabin may exceed the threshold level. Figure 2BAs shown, the control device 110 may include an ambient noise monitor module 280 that may determine the level of ambient noise based on the audio signal received from the microphone 130 .

[0037] In the event that the ambient noise level exceeds the threshold level, the control device 110 may implement an exception handling process. In some cases, the exception handling process may include causing the control device 110 to switch to a pass-through mode, in which the audio signal from the microphone 130 may be sent to the infotainment unit without the control device 110 performing any processing on the audio signal. Additionally or in some cases, the exception handling process may include terminating a node transceiver (digital audio bus node transceiver; e.g., transceiver 210 ( Figure 2A ))'s main character.

[0038] In other cases where the ambient noise level is less than or equal to the threshold level, the control device 110 may perform one or more operations before analyzing the audio signal. For example, the control device 110 may cause the vehicle 104 to provide an indication that the vehicle 104 is ready to process an audio signal indicative of speech and / or to receive a voice command. More specifically, the control device 110 may configure a state of the vehicle 104 that indicates that the vehicle 104 is ready to process an audio signal indicative of speech or is ready to receive a voice command, or both. In some cases, such as Figure 5 As shown, the control device 110 can turn on one or more lighting devices of the vehicle 104. The lighting device may include, for example, lighting device 510, lighting device 520 and / or lighting device 530. Note that the arrangement of lighting device 510, lighting device 520 and lighting device 530 in vehicle 104 is schematic and used as an illustration. One or more lighting devices of vehicle 104 can be assembled at one or more locations within the vehicle. In one example, lighting device 520 can be a turn lighting device, and the control device 110 can turn on lighting device 520 steadily, rather than intermittently. This differentiated lighting of the turn lighting device can convey that the vehicle 104 is ready to receive and / or accept voice commands. In another example, lighting device 510 can be an interior lighting device in the cabin of vehicle 104, and the control device 110 can turn on interior lighting device 510. In another example, the control device 110 can cause the headlight device and / or position lighting device to flash according to a defined pattern. Lighting device 530 generally represents a headlight device and / or a position lighting device.

[0039] Additionally, or alternatively, the control device 110 may configure one or more properties of the signal processing involved in analyzing the audio signal from the microphone 130 integrated into the vehicle 104. For example, the control device 110 may cause the amplifier / equalizer module 240 ( Figure 2A ) operate according to defined parameters. Example parameters of the defined parameters include amplification gain and equalization (EQ) parameters (such as amplitude, center frequency, and bandwidth) applicable to one or more frequency bands. Both the amplifier module and the equalizer module can be programmable, and the control device 110 can configure the amplifier module and / or the equalizer module to operate according to the defined parameters. The control device 110 can determine the defined parameters based on a specific level of ambient noise. In addition, or in some cases, the control device 110 can determine the defined parameters based on status signals received from one or more detector devices within the multiple detector devices 120. For example, the status signal can indicate whether the vehicle 104 is open or closed. In the case where the vehicle 104 is open, the control device 110 can disable the amplifier / equalizer module 240 ( Figure 2A ).

[0040] Figure 3 1 is a block diagram of another example of a control device 110 according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the control device 110 may include a transceiver 210, a plurality of input / output (I / O) interfaces 310 (e.g., I / O ports), one or more processors 320, and one or more memory devices 330 (referred to as memory 330). The memory 330 may include, for example, one or more machine-readable media (transient and non-transient), which may be accessed by the processor 320 and / or other components of the control device 110. In one aspect, the computer-readable medium may include a computer non-transient storage medium (or a computer-readable non-transient storage medium) and a communication medium. Examples of computer-readable non-transient storage media include any available media that may be accessed by the control device 110 or any of its components, including volatile media and non-volatile media, and removable and / or non-removable media. The memory 330 may include a computer-readable medium in the form of a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), or a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), or a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. In some cases, the processor 320 may be arranged in a single computing device. In other cases, processor 320 may be distributed across two or more computing devices.For example, processor 320 may be operatively coupled to transceiver 210, at least one of I / O interface 310, and memory 330 via one or more bus architectures.

[0041] According to the present disclosure, the memory 330 may retain or otherwise store therein machine-accessible components 340 (e.g., computer-readable and / or computer-executable components) and data 350. For example, the data 350 may include various parameters, including first parameters defining various properties of signal processing, such as amplifier gain, EQ parameters, and / or second parameters defining an ambient noise threshold level. The data 350 may also include a model 254 or parameters defining the model 254 and / or data defining one or more acceptance conditions. Therefore, in some embodiments, machine-accessible instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or computer-executable instructions) embody or otherwise constitute each machine-accessible component 340 within the memory 330. The machine-accessible instructions may be encoded in the memory 330 and may be arranged to form each of the machine-accessible components 340. In some cases, the machine-accessible instructions may be constructed (e.g., linked and compiled) in a computer-executable form and retained within the memory 330 or in one or more other machine-accessible non-transitory storage media. Specifically, the machine accessible components 340 may include the startup module 220, the motion monitor 230, the ambient noise monitor 280, the amplifier / equalizer module 240, the command detection module 250, and the action module 270. As described herein, the control device 110 may optionally include the speech recognition module 260 and the ambient noise monitor 280. The memory 330 may also include data ( Figure 3 not shown).

[0042] The machine accessible components 340 can be accessed and executed by at least one of the processors 320 individually or in a specific combination. In response to execution, each of the machine accessible components 340 can provide the functions described herein related to the voice control of the vehicle's parking function. Therefore, the execution of the computer accessible components retained in the memory 330 can cause the control device 110 to operate according to the aspects described herein.

[0043] Example methods that can be implemented according to the present disclosure can be referred to Figure 6-7Better understanding. For simplicity of explanation, the example methods disclosed herein are described as a series of actions. The example methods are not limited by the order of actions, because some actions may occur in different orders and / or occur simultaneously with other actions shown and described herein. In some cases, one or more example methods disclosed herein may alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states or events, such as in a state diagram depicting a state machine. In addition, or in other cases, when different entities implement different parts of the method, an interaction diagram (or process flow) may represent a method according to various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be noted that not all of the actions shown are required to implement the example methods described according to the present disclosure. It should also be noted that two or more of the disclosed example methods can be implemented in combination with each other to implement one or more functions described herein.

[0044] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart of an example of a method for controlling a function of a parked vehicle using voice outside the vehicle cabin according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. In one example, the vehicle may be vehicle 104 ( Figure 1 ). An electronic device including computing resources may partially or fully implement Figure 6 The electronic device may be embodied in or may include the control device 110 described herein. Thus, the electronic device may host a specific combination of two or more of the transceiver 210, the startup module 220, the motion detector 230, the amplifier / equalizer module 240, the ambient noise detector 280, the command detection module 250, the speech recognition module 260, and the action module 270.

[0045] At block 610, the electronic device (e.g., via the activation module 220) may receive a presence signal from a first detector device present in the vehicle. The first detector device may detect an RF signal (e.g., a pilot signal) from a hardware token. In one example, the hardware token may be hardware token 150 ( Figure 1 ). The first detector device may have a first detection range.

[0046] At block 620, the electronic device may be powered on in response to receiving the presence signal. That is, the presence signal may cause the electronic device to switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state. Thus, such a presence signal may be referred to herein as a start-up signal. For example, the start-up module 220 may cause the electronic device to switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state in response to the presence signal. The electronic device may be powered on by extracting a charge from an energy storage device integrated in the vehicle.

[0047] At block 630, the electronic device may determine whether an entity (e.g., object 106) is near and / or approaching the vehicle. To this end, the electronic device may monitor a signal from a second detector device present in the vehicle. Such a signal may be referred to as a presence signal. The second detector device may have a second detection range that is smaller than the first detection range. The second detection range may be, for example, a distance of about 4m to about 6m. The electronic device receiving a signal from the second detector device may indicate that the entity is or is within the second detection range. Therefore, in response to receiving such a signal, the electronic device may determine that the entity is near the electronic device. In other words, when the entity is or is within the second detection range, the entity is considered to be close to the electronic device. Conversely, the failure of the electronic device to receive such a signal may indicate that no entity is approaching the electronic device nearby.

[0048] In response to determining that the entity is not near the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle, the electronic device can take the "no" branch and the process of the example method 600 can return to block 630. In the alternative, in response to determining that the entity is near the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle, the electronic device can take the "yes" branch and the process of the example method 600 can continue to block 640, where the electronic device can turn on a microphone integrated into the vehicle. For example, the electronic device (e.g., via the startup module 220) can respond to the second presence signal to cause the microphone integrated into the vehicle to transition from a powered-off state to a powered-on state. For example, the microphone can be powered on by extracting a charge from an energy storage device integrated into the vehicle. Alternatively, in some cases, the microphone 130 may already be in a powered-on state, in which case block 640 may not be implemented. The microphone can be located within the cabin of the vehicle or assembled facing the outside of the vehicle. Thus, in one example, the microphone can be microphone 130 ( Figure 1 ). In another example, the microphone may be microphone 410 ( Figure 4B )one of the.

[0049] At block 650, the electronic device may receive an audio signal representing speech from a microphone. As described herein, the speech may be emitted outside the vehicle cabin.

[0050] At block 660, the electronic device can determine whether there is a defined command in the voice. To this end, the electronic device can, for example, analyze the audio signal through a voice recognition module. Analyzing the audio signal can include applying a model to the audio signal, wherein the model can be a voice recognition model or a keyword recognition model. In some cases, the result of analyzing the audio signal includes the defined command, so the electronic device can determine that the defined command exists in the voice. In other cases, the result of analyzing the audio signal does not include the defined command, so the electronic device can determine that the defined command does not exist in the voice. As described herein, examples of defined commands include "open the trunk", "close the trunk", "open the lift gate", "close the lift gate", "open the driver's door", "turn on the lights", "start the engine", etc.

[0051] In response to determining that the defined command is not present in the speech, the electronic device can take the "no" branch and the process of the example method 600 can continue to block 650. In response to determining that the defined command is present in the speech, the electronic device can take the "yes" branch according to two possible implementations. In a first implementation (marked as unverified), the process of the example method 600 can continue to block 680, where the electronic device causes the participant device to perform an operation corresponding to the command. For example, the command can be "open the lift gate" and the actuator device can be a lock assembly of the vehicle lift gate. In this example, the operation can be to release the lock on the lift gate. In other words, the actuator device executes the command conveyed in the speech.

[0052] In the second implementation ( Figure 6 In the example method 600, the flow can continue to block 670, where the electronic device can determine whether the voice including the voice command is associated with a valid voice profile. In response to a negative determination, the electronic device can take the "no" branch, and the flow of the example method 600 can continue to block 650. In response to an affirmative determination, the electronic device can take the "yes" branch, and the flow of the example method 600 can continue to block 680.

[0053] In some implementations, the example method 600 may include determining whether to allow the execution of an operation associated with the defined command. That is, the electronic device may determine whether to accept the defined command (or any other defined command). Determining whether to accept the defined command may include determining whether an acceptance condition is met. As described herein, the acceptance condition may be, for example, a time condition (e.g., a time of day or a time of week), a location-based condition (e.g., a vehicle parked in a low-security area), or a combination of the two. A positive determination may result in the implementation of block 680 as described herein. For example, a negative determination may result in the flow of the example method 600 being directed to block 650. In some cases, the absence of a visual cue on the vehicle (e.g., lighting turned on) may indicate that the defined command was not accepted.

[0054] The performance of the example method 600 has practical applications, including allowing contactless voice control of a parked vehicle from outside the vehicle. In some implementations, such contactless voice control can be provided to permitted end users by verifying the end user's voice profile. Therefore, unauthorized control of the vehicle cannot be achieved.

[0055] Since voice control is based on sounds outside the controlled vehicle cabin, voice recognition may not be feasible in some cases. For example, in the case of elevated ambient noise, the electronic device implementing the example method 600 may not continue to analyze the audio signal. Figure 7 As shown, the example method 600 may include block 710, where the electronic device may determine whether to monitor for speech. To this end, the electronic device may determine whether one or more operating conditions are met. More specifically, in some cases, the electronic device may determine that the vehicle (e.g., vehicle 104 ( Figure 1 )) Whether the ambient noise level in the cabin is less than or equal to a threshold level. The threshold level may be, for example, in the range of about 70 dB to 90 dB.

[0056] In the event that the ambient noise exceeds the threshold level, the electronic device may take the "no" branch at block 710, and Figure 7 The flow of the example method 600 shown in can continue to block 720. In this block, the electronic device can implement an exception handling process. The exception handling process can include, for example, switching the electronic device to a pass-through mode, in which the audio signal from the microphone in the vehicle can be sent to the infotainment unit without any processing of the audio signal. In addition, or in some cases, the exception handling process can include terminating the master role of the transceiver node (digital audio bus node transceiver) integrated into the electronic device.

[0057] In the event that the ambient noise is less than or equal to the threshold level, the electronic device may take the “yes” branch at block 710 and Figure 7 The flow of the example method 500 shown in can continue to block 730. At this block, the electronic device can perform one or more operations. For example, the electronic device can cause the vehicle to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to process audio signals indicating voice and / or accept voice commands, as described herein. More specifically, the electronic device can configure the state of the vehicle to indicate that the vehicle is ready to process these audio signals. In some cases, the electronic device can turn on one or more lighting devices of the vehicle. In one example, the electronic device can turn on the steering lighting device steadily. In another example, the electronic device can turn on the interior lighting device in the vehicle cabin. In another example, the electronic device can cause the headlight device and / or position lighting device to flash according to a defined pattern.

[0058] In addition, or as an alternative, at block 730, the electronic device may configure one or more properties of signal processing involved in analyzing an audio signal from a microphone integrated into the vehicle. For example, the electronic device may cause an amplifier device or an equalizer device or both to operate according to defined parameters. Examples of defined parameters include amplification gain and equalization (EQ) parameters (such as amplitude, center frequency, and bandwidth) applicable to one or more frequency bands. Both the amplifier device and the equalizer device may be programmable, and the electronic device may configure the amplifier device and / or the equalizer device to operate according to the defined parameters.

[0059] In some cases, as part of block 730, the electronic device may determine that the cabin of the vehicle is open based on the at least one status signal. In addition, the electronic device may then configure one or more properties of signal processing of the audio signal. After such configuration, in response to receiving the audio signal, the electronic device may process the audio signal according to the one or more configured properties.

[0060] Numerous other aspects can be seen from the above detailed description and the accompanying drawings. These aspects are indicated by the following clauses.

[0061] Item 1 includes a method, wherein the method comprises: when a vehicle is parked, in response to a first presence signal, switching an electronic device from a powered-off state to a powered-on state, wherein the electronic device is integrated into the vehicle; in response to a second presence signal, determining that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receiving, by the electronic device, an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated in the vehicle; determining, by the electronic device, the presence of a defined command in the speech using the audio signal; and causing, by the electronic device, the actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

[0062] Clause 2 includes clause 1 and further includes verifying a speech profile associated with the speech before causing the actuator device to perform the operation.

[0063] Clause 3 includes any of the preceding clauses 1 or 2, wherein the first presence signal indicates that the hardware token is within a second defined range from the vehicle, and the method further comprises receiving, by the electronic device, the first presence signal from a first detector device integrated into the vehicle.

[0064] Clause 4 includes any of the preceding clauses 1 to 3, and further includes receiving, by the electronic device, the second presence signal from a second detector device integrated into the vehicle.

[0065] Clause 5 includes any of clauses 1 to 4 above, and further includes causing, by the electronic device, a microphone integrated into the vehicle to transition from a second power-off state to a second power-on state in response to the second presence signal.

[0066] Clause 6 includes any of the preceding clauses 1 to 5, and further includes determining that an ambient noise level within the vehicle cabin is less than a threshold level before transitioning the microphone from the second powered-off state to the second powered-on state.

[0067] Clause 7 includes any of the preceding clauses 1 to 6, and further includes causing the vehicle, by the electronic device, to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to accept a voice command.

[0068] Clause 8 includes any of the preceding clauses 1 to 7, wherein causing the vehicle to provide the indication by the electronic device includes causing one or more lighting devices integrated into the vehicle to turn on by the electronic device.

[0069] Clause 9 includes any one of clauses 1 to 8 above, and also includes determining that a cabin of the vehicle is open based on at least one status signal; configuring one or more attributes of signal processing for the audio signal; and processing the audio signal according to the one or more configured attributes.

[0070] Item 10 includes a device, wherein the device includes: at least one processor and at least one memory device storing processor-executable instructions, wherein in response to execution of the at least one processor, the executable instructions cause the device to: transition from a power-off state to a power-on state in response to a first presence signal when the vehicle is parked, wherein the device is integrated into the vehicle; determine, in response to a second presence signal, that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receive an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated into the vehicle; use the audio signal to determine the presence of a defined command in the speech; and cause an actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

[0071] Clause 11 includes clause 10, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, which, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the device to verify a voice profile associated with the voice before causing the executor device to perform the operation.

[0072] Clause 12 includes any of the preceding clauses 10 or 11, wherein the first presence signal indicates that the hardware token is within a second defined range from the vehicle.

[0073] Clause 13 includes any of the preceding clauses 10 to 12, wherein the second presence signal is received from a second detector device integrated into the vehicle.

[0074] Clause 14 includes any of the preceding clauses 10 to 13, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, and the processor-executable instructions, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, also cause the device to respond to the second presence signal and cause the microphone integrated into the vehicle to switch from a second power-off state to a second power-on state.

[0075] Clause 15 includes any of clauses 10 to 14 above, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, which, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, also cause the device to determine that the ambient noise level within the cabin of the vehicle is less than a threshold level before causing the microphone to transition from the second power-off state to the second power-on state.

[0076] Clause 16 includes any of clauses 10 to 15 above, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, further causing the apparatus to cause the vehicle to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to accept voice commands.

[0077] Clause 17 includes any one of the preceding clauses 10 to 16, wherein the microphone is assembled inside a cabin of the vehicle, or assembled outside a cabin of the vehicle and faces the outside of the vehicle.

[0078] Item 18 includes a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes an electronic device configured to: when the vehicle is parked, switch from a powered-off state to a powered-on state in response to a first presence signal, wherein the device is integrated into the vehicle; in response to a second presence signal, determine that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receive an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated into the vehicle; use the audio signal to determine the presence of a defined command in the speech; and cause an actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

[0079] Clause 19 includes clause 18, wherein the electronic device is further configured to verify a voice profile associated with the voice before causing the actuator device to perform the operation.

[0080] Clause 20 includes any of clauses 18 and 19, wherein the electronic device is further configured to cause the vehicle to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to accept a voice command.

[0081] Item 21 includes a machine-readable non-transitory medium having machine-executable instructions encoded thereon, which, in response to execution by at least one processor in a machine (such as an electronic device of any one of items 10 to 17), causes the machine to perform the method of any one of items 1 to 9.

[0082] Various aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a combination of hardware aspects, software aspects, or software and hardware aspects in whole or in part. In addition, as described herein, various aspects of the present disclosure (e.g., systems and methods) may take the form of a computer program product, which includes a machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) non-transient storage medium having machine-accessible (e.g., machine-accessible instructions, such as computer-readable and / or computer-executable instructions), such as program code or computer software encoded or otherwise contained in such a storage medium. These instructions may be read or otherwise accessed and executed by one or more processors to perform or allow the operations described herein to be performed. Instructions may be provided in any suitable form, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, assembly code, a combination of the above codes, etc. Any suitable computer-readable non-transient storage medium may be used to form a computer program product. For example, a computer-readable medium may include any tangible non-transient medium for storing information in a form that can be read or otherwise accessed by one or more computers or processors functionally coupled thereto. Non-transitory storage media may include read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory, etc.

[0083] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to block diagrams and flow charts of methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products. It is understood that each block of the block diagrams and flow charts, and the combination of blocks in the block diagrams and flow charts, respectively, can be implemented by computer-accessible instructions. In some implementations, the computer-accessible instructions can be loaded or otherwise incorporated into a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or another programmable information processing device to produce a specific machine so that the operations or functions specified in the flow chart blocks can be implemented in response to the execution of the computer or processing device.

[0084] Unless expressly stated otherwise, any protocol, procedure, process, or method described herein should not be construed as requiring that its acts or steps be performed in a particular order. Therefore, if a process or method claim does not actually recite the order in which its acts or steps are to be followed, or if the claims or description of the present disclosure do not otherwise specifically recite that the steps are to be limited to a particular order, no order is intended to be inferred in any respect. This applies to any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including: problems of logic related to arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; the number or type of aspects described in the specification or drawings; or the like.

[0085] As used in this disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, the terms "component", "module", "system", etc. are intended to refer to a computer-related entity or an entity related to a device having one or more specific functions. The entity can be hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. One or more such entities are also referred to as "functional elements". For example, a component can be a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. For example, an application running on a server or a network controller and a server or network control program can be a component. One or more components can reside within a process and / or an execution thread, and a component can be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. These components can communicate through local and / or remote processes, such as according to signals with one or more data packets (e.g., data from a component that interacts with another component in a local system, a distributed system, and / or interacts with other systems through a network such as the Internet through signals). As another example, a component can be a device having a specific function provided by mechanical parts operated by electrical or electronic circuits, which can be controlled or otherwise operated by program code executed by a processor. As another example, a component can be a device that provides a specific function through an electronic component without mechanical parts, and the electronic component can include a processor to execute a program code that at least partially provides the function of the electronic component. As another example, an interface can include an I / O component or an application programming interface (API) component. Although the above examples are directed to aspects of components, aspects or features of the examples are also applicable to systems, modules, etc.

[0086] In addition, the word “or” is intended to mean an inclusive or rather than an exclusive or. That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from the context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” holds true in any of the above cases. Furthermore, “a” and “an” as used in this specification and the drawings should be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or the context clearly dictates a singular form.

[0087] In addition, the terms "example" and "for example" are used herein to indicate use as an example or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as an "example" or related to an "for example" clause is not necessarily to be construed as being superior to other aspects or designs described herein. On the contrary, the use of the word "example" or "for example" is intended to present the concept in a concrete way. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. used in the claims and the specification are for clarity only and do not necessarily indicate or imply any temporal or spatial order.

[0088] The term "processor" as used in this disclosure may refer to any computational processing unit or device, including processing circuits that can operate on data and / or signaling. Computational processing units or devices may include, for example, single-core processors; single processors with software multi-threaded execution capabilities; multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multi-threaded execution capabilities; multi-core processors using hardware multi-threading technology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributed shared memory. In addition, the processor may include an integrated circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, which is designed to perform the functions described herein. In some cases, the processor may utilize nanoscale architectures, such as transistors, switches, and gates based on molecules and quantum dots, to optimize space usage or improve the performance of user devices. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computational processing units.

[0089] In addition, terms such as "memory," "data storage," "database," and any other information storage component related to the operation and functionality of the component refer to the "memory component" or the entity contained in the "memory" or memory device. It should be understood that the memory components and memory devices described herein can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or can include volatile and non-volatile storage. In addition, the memory component can be detachable or attached to a functional element (e.g., device, server).

[0090] As a simple example, non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmed ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM comes in many forms, such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM). In addition, the memory components of the systems or methods disclosed herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, including these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0091] The various aspects described herein may be implemented as methods, devices, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. In addition, the various aspects disclosed herein may also be implemented by program modules or other types of computer program instructions stored in a memory device and executed by a processor, or other combinations of hardware and software or hardware and firmware. Such program modules or computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or another type of programmable data processing device to produce a machine, such that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device create a means for implementing the functions disclosed herein.

[0092] The term "article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, etc.), optical disks (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), Blu-ray disks (BDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives, etc.).

[0093] The foregoing includes examples of one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Of course, for the purposes of describing these examples, it is not possible to describe every possible combination of components or methods, and it will be appreciated that many other combinations and permutations of the present aspects are possible. Therefore, the aspects disclosed and / or claimed herein are intended to include all such changes, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the detailed description and the appended claims. In addition, if one or more of the terms "includes," "comprising," "having," "having," or "having" are used in the detailed description or in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to "comprising," in that "includes" is interpreted as "comprising" when used as a transitional word in a claim.

Claims

1. A method comprising: when the vehicle is parked, in response to a first presence signal, switching an electronic device from a powered-off state to a powered-on state, wherein the electronic device is integrated into the vehicle; In response to a second presence signal, determining that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receiving, by the electronic device, an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated in the vehicle; determining, by the electronic device, the presence of a defined command in the speech using the audio signal; and The electronic device causes the actuator device to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying a voice profile associated with the voice before causing the actuator device to perform the operation.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first presence signal indicates that the hardware token is within a second defined range from the vehicle, the method further comprising receiving, by the electronic device, the first presence signal from a first detector device integrated into the vehicle.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising receiving, by the electronic device, the second presence signal from a second detector device integrated into the vehicle. 5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing, by the electronic device, a microphone integrated into the vehicle to switch from a second powered-off state to a second powered-on state in response to the second presence signal. 6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining that an ambient noise level within the vehicle cabin is less than a threshold level before transitioning the microphone from the second powered-off state to the second powered-on state.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising causing the vehicle, by the electronic device, to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to accept voice commands. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein causing the vehicle to provide the indication by the electronic device comprises causing one or more lighting devices integrated into the vehicle to turn on by the electronic device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: determining, based on at least one status signal, that a cabin of the vehicle is open; configuring one or more properties of signal processing for the audio signal; as well as The audio signal is processed according to one or more configured properties.

10. A device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing processor-executable instructions, the executable instructions, in response to execution by the at least one processor, causing the apparatus to: transitioning from a powered-off state to a powered-on state in response to a first presence signal when the vehicle is parked, wherein the device is integrated in the vehicle; In response to a second presence signal, determining that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receiving an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated in the vehicle; determining the presence of a defined command in the speech using the audio signal; and An actuator device is caused to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, which, in response to execution by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to verify a voice profile associated with the voice before causing the executor device to perform the operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 or 11, wherein the first presence signal indicates that a hardware token is within a second defined range from the vehicle.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the second presence signal is received from a second detector device integrated into the vehicle.

14. An apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, which, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to cause a microphone integrated into the vehicle to transition from a second power-off state to a second power-on state in response to the second presence signal.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one memory device stores additional processor-executable instructions, which, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to determine that the ambient noise level within the cabin of the vehicle is less than a threshold level before causing the microphone to transition from the second power-off state to the second power-on state.

16. An apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the at least one memory device stores further processor-executable instructions which, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to cause the vehicle to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to accept voice commands.

17. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the microphone is assembled inside a cabin of the vehicle, or assembled outside the cabin of the vehicle and faces the outside of the vehicle.

18. A vehicle comprising: An electronic device configured to: transitioning from a powered-off state to a powered-on state in response to a first presence signal when the vehicle is parked, wherein the device is integrated in the vehicle; In response to a second presence signal, determining that an entity is within a defined range from the vehicle and is approaching the vehicle; receiving an audio signal representing speech from a microphone integrated in the vehicle; determining the presence of a defined command in the speech using the audio signal; and An actuator device is caused to perform an operation corresponding to the command, wherein performing the operation results in a change in the state of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the electronic device is further configured to verify a voice profile associated with the voice before causing the actuator device to perform the operation.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 or 19, wherein the electronic device is further configured to cause the vehicle to provide an indication that the vehicle is ready to accept voice commands.

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