Method and system for transmitting voice commands to a vehicle

Abstract

The method according to the present invention is a method for issuing commands to a vehicle (1) having a central control unit (23), at least one steering wheel (13), and a steering member (11) for acting on the steering wheel (13). The method comprises the step of activating a voice recognition function of a smartphone (5) interfaced with the central control unit (23) using an interface device (21) on the steering member (11). After the smartphone (5) receives a voice command from the driver and recognizes the voice by activating the voice recognition function, the smartphone (5) uses its processing unit to select an instruction corresponding to the received voice command. The instruction is then executed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a system for facilitating the operation of a vehicle, in particular a saddle-type vehicle, i.e., an inclined-type vehicle such as a two-wheeled or three-wheeled motorcycle or scooter.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of two-wheeled and three-wheeled saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, solutions for enhancing driving comfort and safety are constantly being sought.

[0003] German Patent DE102014016827 discloses a method for operating a vehicle that requires the use of a helmet. In this method, a microphone is integrated into the helmet. The microphone is interfaced with a mobile device having computing power and data transmission and reception functions, such as a smartphone, and the mobile device is connected to the helmet. When the helmet is activated, the vehicle is activated by the mobile device. In this way, it becomes possible to start the vehicle without the need to use an ignition key. In the embodiment disclosed in German Patent DE102014016827, voice commands are also transmitted to the vehicle using the mobile device. The smartphone is equipped with voice recognition software for recognizing voice commands for the vehicle. To avoid transmitting incorrect voice commands, voice recognition of commands for the vehicle is activated by a series of voice instructions or by an activation command on the helmet side. In this way, the voice recognition system is always active, but the transmission of commands to the vehicle is suppressed until the driver transmits a specific voice command that is interpreted as an activation command by the voice recognition system, and thereafter, voice commands intended to control the vehicle can be transmitted and processed.

[0004] The system and method disclosed in German Patent DE102014016827 have a series of functional and safety limitations and drawbacks.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-092788 discloses a vehicle integrated with a voice recognition system for transmitting commands to the vehicle, for example, for operating a direction indicator. Since it is necessary to program voice recognition, only one driver can use the voice commands provided in the vehicle. The only user who can use the voice commands must first set the voice commands in the vehicle and store them in the internal memory of the vehicle. If another user wants to use the same function of the vehicle, the first user needs to cancel the previously set commands and set their own voice commands. Therefore, the voice commands of the vehicle disclosed in this prior art document can only be used by one user.

[0006] Therefore, it would be convenient to have a system and method that can transmit voice commands more efficiently and safely to a vehicle driven while wearing a helmet, particularly a leaning type vehicle or a saddle-riding type vehicle.

Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect, this specification discloses a method of imparting commands to a vehicle. The vehicle includes a central control device, at least one steering wheel, and a steering member for acting on the steering wheel. The method includes the step of activating the voice recognition function of a mobile device interfaced with the central control device using an interface device on the steering member. For this purpose, the mobile device includes a processing unit adapted to receive voice commands from the driver of the vehicle and select a command from a plurality of pre-set commands in the smartphone based on the received voice commands. The method further includes the step of receiving a voice command on the mobile device. Using the processing unit of the mobile device, a command corresponding to the received voice command is selected, and then the selected command is executed. In particular, the mobile device can be a smartphone. In the sense intended herein, the term "smartphone" can generally constitute a mobile device equipped with a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card.

[0008] By setting the voice commands of each individual user in that user's smartphone, multiple users can each be provided with their own mobile device (smartphone) and use the same vehicle. In this way, the signals transmitted by the smartphone to the vehicle are always recognized as valid by the vehicle, and there is no risk that the vehicle will fail to recognize (or misinterpret) the voice commands given by the driver.

[0009] Advantageously, the mobile device is adapted to provide an Internet connection that can obtain user-specific voice recognition so as to enable recognition of the voice of the owner of the mobile device.

[0010] In this way, voice recognition can be activated only when needed, preventing incorrect commands from being given to the system, and also reducing the energy consumption by the smartphone. By arranging the voice recognition activation interface on a steering member represented by the handlebar, the driver can activate the voice recognition completely safely without taking their hand off the steering member such as the handlebar.

[0011] According to another aspect, a system is disclosed herein that includes a vehicle having a central control device, at least one steering wheel, and a steering member for acting on the steering wheel. This system further includes an interface device attached to the steering member and a mobile device, particularly a smartphone, in a data exchange relationship with the central control device of the vehicle. The interface device is arranged and configured to be operable without the driver having to move their hand from the correct position on the steering member, i.e., while maintaining control of the steering member.

[0012] When the smartphone receives a startup command, it is adapted to activate the voice recognition function. The startup command is sent to the smartphone by operating an interface device. The smartphone is adapted to select a command from a series of commands preset in the smartphone based on the voice command received by the smartphone and recognized by the voice recognition function.

[0013] For example, unlike what is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-092788, the system and method according to the present invention provide for using the hardware and software resources of a mobile device (smartphone) to perform voice recognition given by a user. In this way, without affecting its cost, in addition to obtaining an advanced function for controlling a vehicle, there is an advantage that multiple users can drive the same vehicle in a safe state using voice commands customized by the user. The present invention will be better understood by following the description and the accompanying drawings showing non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Figure 1 schematically shows a vehicle 1 driven by a driver 2 wearing a helmet 3. The driver has a smartphone 5 that executes the methods described herein and has the functionality necessary to complete the systems illustrated herein. In particular, the smartphone includes a processing unit schematically indicated by reference numeral 5A in Figure 2. The processing unit 5A provides processing capabilities to the smartphone 5, can execute a voice recognition program, and can store instructions and voiceprints, i.e., voice files. The smartphone is also provided with a gateway, i.e., a receiving and transmitting function for communicating with a central control device provided in the vehicle 1. Further, the smartphone has functions for communicating with the driver 2, for example, using a display and preferably earphones or another general-purpose speaker, and connecting to a microphone, i.e., a device generally for capturing sound.

[0016] In Figure 1, the smartphone 5 is shown as being carried by the driver 2 and housed, for example, in a pocket, but it can also be mounted on the handlebar of the vehicle 1 so as to be easily visible to the driver 2.

[0017] The smartphone 5 is provided with a microphone so that the driver 2 can communicate with the smartphone 5 by voice. The smartphone 5 is also provided with a speaker so that the driver 2 can listen to voice information from the smartphone 5. The speaker can be in the form of earphones. In Figure 1, reference numeral 7 schematically shows earphones interface-connected to the smartphone 5, and reference numeral 9 schematically shows a microphone interface-connected to the smartphone 5. The earphones 7 (or other speakers) and the microphone 9 can be connected to the smartphone 5 by a wired connection or preferably a wireless connection, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) connection. These can be inserted into the helmet 3 or integrated with the helmet.

[0018] Vehicle 1 includes a handlebar 11 that forms a steering member for rotating one front steering wheel 13 or a pair of front steering wheels 13. The handlebar 11 is partially shown in the state as seen from the driver 2 side in FIG. 2. The handlebar 11 may have a dashboard 15 that includes in-vehicle instruments 17 such as a speedometer, an odometer, and a warning lamp for vehicle lights. In some embodiments, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, the dashboard may have a housing for holding the smartphone 5. In this embodiment, for the purpose described below, the smartphone 5 may be held such that its display is visible to the driver 2.

[0019] The handlebar 11 includes a handgrip 11A that can be held by the driver 2. One of the handgrips 11A, the right handgrip 11A in the embodiment, is associated with an interface device 21 in the form of, for example, buttons or a joystick, the purpose of which will be described below.

[0020] The components of the vehicle 1 and the smartphone 5, which are useful for understanding the methods and systems described herein, are represented in the form of functional blocks in FIG. 3. More specifically, FIG. 3 shows a block 5 representing a smartphone having an installed voice recognition application or a voice recognition application belonging to its operating system. Although details will be described later, preferably, an application that can convert customized voice commands into instructions for the vehicle 1 and optionally the smartphone 5 is also installed in the smartphone 5.

[0021] In FIG. 3, reference numerals 7 and 9 denote blocks indicating the earphone 7 and the microphone 9 connected to the smartphone 5 by the connection portion 6. As described above, the connection of the earphone 7 and the microphone 9 to the smartphone 5 may be wireless or wired. Further, the vehicle 1 is provided with a central control device 23 that is in a data exchange relationship with the smartphone 5. The connection between the central control device 23 of the vehicle 1 and the smartphone 5 is visually represented by a double arrow 25. Preferably, the connection 25 is a wireless connection using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi technology. However, it is also possible to use a wired connection.

[0022] The interface device 21 is connected to the central control device 23 by connection means schematically indicated by reference numeral 27. The connection means 27 may be a dedicated wired connection or can be obtained by the CAN bus provided in the vehicle 1, and connects the central control device 23 to a plurality of electronic control devices or electronic control units provided in the vehicle 1. In FIG. 3, as an example, the CAN bus is indicated by reference numeral 31, and as a whole and cumulatively, a series of control units of the vehicle, such as a dashboard control unit 33, an ABS system control unit 35, an engine control unit 37, and any other control unit of the vehicle 1 indicated by reference numeral 39, are connected to the central control device 23.

[0023] As already described, an application is installed in the smartphone 5, and commands for the vehicle 1 and optionally commands for the smartphone 5 are activated, that is, selected, using voice commands given by the driver 2 and recognized by the voice recognition software.

[0024] In some embodiments, the application installed on the smartphone 5 can provide a series of instructions to the user, each of which can be activated by a voice command that can be customized by the driver 2. In practice, in the application setting or programming process, the driver 2 can call a single instruction and associate a customized voice command with each instruction. Each single instruction that can be preset in the application, when activated, causes the device (vehicle 1; smartphone 5) for which the instruction is intended to perform an operation.

[0025] In a possible embodiment, the application has a programming or setting mode, which may have the function of calling and displaying a single instruction, and the user can use the microphone and voice recognition software of the smartphone 5 to associate a customized voice command with the instruction. In this way, voice files, i.e., voiceprints, each associated with a command or instruction preset on the application, are stored in the smartphone 5. When the application is launched in the operating mode and can receive voice commands and execute the associated instructions, the user, i.e., the driver 2, can transmit a voice command that activates the instruction associated with the voice command (during setting) when recognized by the voice recognition software of the smartphone 5.

[0026] This operating mode enables the user to utilize a new or customized voice command associated with one or another of the multiple instructions provided by the application. As an example, two instructions for activating the right and left direction indicators can be mentioned. The user can choose to associate easy-to-remember voice commands such as "turn left" and "turn right", or shorter "left" and "right", with these two instructions, or can also choose to associate them with a linguistic or acoustic command that has no meaning correlated with the associated instruction.

[0027] In addition to the advantage that there is no need to memorize voice commands set by the application, but rather the user can select their favorite voice commands, the user also has the further advantage of not being restricted to a predetermined language during the use of the application. Therefore, even for users who speak different languages, they can use the same application regardless of pronunciation or dialect differences. The only condition that seems useful is that various instructions for application settings or programming are available in the language selected by the user. For example, for each instruction made available by the application, instructions written in various languages can be made available in a library. By selecting the operating language, the user can display various instructions in the selected language on the smartphone display. Each instruction that can be associated with a customized voice command can also be displayed graphically instead of by a language description. For example, instructions for operating the right and left indicators can be displayed using an icon showing a vehicle with one or the other of the two indicators flashing. Each instruction made available by the application can be loaded onto the smartphone 5 during the download and installation of the application, but it is also possible to select each instruction from a library or database that is accessible online via the Internet, for example, during programming or setting.

[0028] The foregoing functions and related advantages of the application can also be implemented in a system that does not have the voice recognition activation mode described in this specification or has a different voice recognition activation mode.

[0029] In some embodiments, the application can provide the user with instructions intended only for the vehicle 1, that is, instructions to activate or execute functions on the vehicle 1. In other embodiments, there may also be instructions intended for the smartphone 5, that is, instructions whose activation starts the execution of the functions of the smartphone 5.

[0030] Typical commands intended for the smartphone 5 that are useful for facilitating driving can be activation of a navigator, selection of a destination, switching on of high-beam headlamps, selection of a dynamic setup for a motorcycle, selection of a driving mode, display of specific parameters on the vehicle dashboard, change of language, setting of a clock, activation of an intercom, activation of a dashboard composite function such as activation of direction indicators, etc., or functions directly related to applications on the smartphone 5 (changing of display pages, connection of an application that receives data, recording of video, recording of telemetry data, etc.).

[0031] Typically, commands for the vehicle 1 can be divided into commands that cause an action, activation or operation on the vehicle 1 and commands that request information on the vehicle 1 transmitted by the smartphone 5 to the driver 2.

[0032] Typical commands that can be usefully given to the vehicle by voice commands can include activation of right or left direction indicators, on and off of position lamps, low beam, high beam and headlamps, gear change, change of driving mode, automatic headlamp flashing (passing), change of settings of control systems (traction / stability control, ABS, cruise control, etc.), change of display parameters on the dashboard, distance to empty request, change of data display mode on the dashboard (e.g., day / night mode), start / stop of telemetry data recording, activation of an emergency reporting system, etc.

[0033] Typical commands that are useful for enabling the driver 2 to obtain information from the vehicle 1 can include trip data or other information related to the vehicle, such as distance to fuel empty in both the case of an electric vehicle and a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, average fuel consumption or average speed during a trip or for a specific time / space interval (last 1 hour, last 10 km, etc.), distance or time to arrival when navigation is in progress, weather along a route or at a given destination at a given time, estimated distance to fuel empty when arriving at a destination, levels set in various vehicle control systems, etc.

[0034] Some instructions may affect the safety and driving conditions of the vehicle. In this case, in some embodiments, the application may request the driver to confirm the given instructions, and if the driver fails to do so, the instructions may not be executed. For example, when disabling the traction / stability / brake system (or any case of entering a setting that limits their operating range), when activating the cruise control system, when changing the set speed for the cruise control system, when activating the launch control, when changing the engine map, etc.

[0035] The system described in this specification can be configured and used as follows to facilitate the driving of vehicle 1.

[0036] The central control device 23 may be configured to transmit, via the connection part 25, a command for activating the voice recognition function provided in the smartphone 5 to the smartphone 5. The transmission of the voice recognition activation command by the control unit may be triggered by the interface device 21 and the communication line 27. In practice, when wishing to use voice commands, the driver operates the interface device 21 so that the central control device 23 transmits a voice recognition activation command to the smartphone 5 connected thereto. When the voice recognition is activated, the driver conveys a voice command to the smartphone 5 via the microphone 9. The application resident in the smartphone 5 converts the voice command into a corresponding instruction.

[0037] With this configuration, it is possible to stop the voice recognition of the smartphone 5 when it is not necessary and activate it only when necessary. In this way, many advantages can be obtained. In particular, for example, when the smartphone is being used for a normal phone call or when the driver is talking to a passenger, the risk of a voice command being activated by external noise or the driver's voice is avoided.

[0038] The application of the smartphone 5 can be programmed to cancel voice recognition immediately after assigning a command corresponding to the received voice command. Also, the voice recognition can be kept activated for a predetermined time after startup.

[0039] As described above, the interface device 21 can be used to assign various commands or instructions, such as stopping voice recognition continuously after activation or confirming the assigned voice command, when it may affect driving safety, for example. In this case, in practice, the interface device 21 activates voice recognition and then, after requesting confirmation or permission by an application on the smartphone 5, can be sequentially used to permit the execution of the command called using the voice command assigned by the smartphone 5.

[0040] To assign various commands using the interface device 21, the interface device 21 can be provided with various components, such as a plurality of buttons or a joystick that can be moved in different directions. In other embodiments, a single button can be provided. In the case of a single button, the driver 2 can assign various commands by pressing the button once or multiple times, or by continuously pressing the button for various times. For example, when pressed briefly, voice recognition can be activated, and when pressed for a long time, the execution of the command assigned by the voice command can be enabled, or vice versa.

[0041] To facilitate the use of the functions described above, various conditions or requirements can be notified to the driver 2 by means of an optical signal on the display of the smartphone 5 (which is easy to read, for example, when the smartphone 5 is attached on or within the dashboard of the vehicle 1), or preferably, an acoustic signal via the earphone 7. For example, in this way, conditions or requirements such as the correct activation of voice recognition, the cancellation of voice recognition, the request for permission to execute an instruction given by a voice command, etc. can be notified to the driver 2. A voice synthesizer can be provided for communication from the smartphone 5 to the driver 2 (or via the smartphone 5 by the central control device 23).

[0042] As described above, the instructions that the driver 2 can give by voice commands can not only cause the execution of operations on the vehicle 1, but also be instructions including requests for information on the vehicle 1. In this case, the information can be transmitted to the driver by the central control device 23 on the message on the display of the smartphone 5 and / or preferably using the earphone 7. For example, the driver 2 can activate voice recognition and request information regarding the distance until the fuel of the vehicle 1 runs out by a voice command. The voice command is converted by the application into an instruction directed to the control device. For example, using the dashboard control device or other in-vehicle instruments, the distance until the fuel runs out is detected and the answer is transmitted to the smartphone 5. The application converts the received information into voice communication. In this way, information can be provided without diverting the driver's attention from the road to look at the dashboard, and information that is not displayed due to the absence of specific in-vehicle instruments can be provided to the driver.

[0043] Figure 4 summarizes a possible embodiment of the method according to the present invention in a flowchart. In block 101, driver 2 activates interface device 21. Central control device 23 sends a voice recognition activation command to smartphone 5. In block 102, it is checked whether voice recognition is available. This block enables, for example, informing driver 2 that voice recognition is unavailable for some reason, such as when voice recognition requires an Internet connection and this connection is temporarily unavailable.

[0044] If voice recognition is unavailable, smartphone 5 notifies driver 2, for example, by a voice error message and / or by a message on the display of smartphone 5 (block 103).

[0045] If voice recognition is available, driver 2 sends a voice command to smartphone 5 via microphone 9.

[0046] The voice recognition software checks whether the voice has been recognized (block 104). If the voice is not recognized, or if the command is not recognized because, for example, it is stored in smartphone 5 and does not correspond to any of the voice tracks or files associated with the respective commands, an error message is generated that notifies driver 2 via earphone 7 and / or on the display of the smartphone (block 105). The voice recognition function is stopped. This situation can occur, for example, when driver 2 is inadvertently using another smartphone, or when the environment is too noisy for the voice recognition software to recognize the voice, or for other reasons, such as the voice command not being stored and / or not being associated with a specific command that can be given to vehicle 1 and / or smartphone 5.

[0047] When voice is recognized, the application verifies whether the command launched by the voice command requires confirmation by driver 2, i.e., permission to execute (block 106). If verification is not required, the voice command, i.e., the command corresponding to the voice command, is executed (block 107). Also, the application can request driver 2 to confirm the correct reception and execution of the command (via earphone 7 and / or via the display of smartphone 5). Confirmation of the command represents a safety system adapted to prevent driver 2 from inadvertently giving potentially dangerous commands to vehicle 1.

[0048] When the voice command activates a command that requires driver permission or confirmation, control transfers to block 108 and waits for permission or confirmation. For example, if confirmation is made by interface device 21, control transfers to block 107 and executes the command corresponding to the given voice command. If confirmation of execution is not obtained, at block 110, a message (a voice message or a visual message as described above) is sent to driver 2 and voice recognition is stopped.

Claims

1. A method for applying a command to an inclined saddle-type vehicle (1) comprising a central control device (23), at least one steering wheel (13), and a steering member (11) for acting on the steering wheel (13), wherein the method has a step of activating a voice recognition function of a smartphone (5) interfaced with a central control device (23) using an interface device (21) on the steering member (11), the smartphone (5) receiving a voice command from a driver (2) of the vehicle (1), and comprising a processing unit (5A) adapted to select a command from a plurality of preset commands in the smartphone based on the received voice command, and wherein the method comprises, in the smartphone (5), a step of receiving a voice command, a step of selecting a command corresponding to the received voice command using a processing unit (5A) of the smartphone (5), and a step of executing the selected command and the step of activating the voice recognition function comprises a step of transmitting a request for activating the voice recognition function to the central control device (23) of the vehicle (1) using the interface device (21), and a step of transmitting, using the central control device (23) of the vehicle (1), a command for activating the voice recognition function in the smartphone (5) to the smartphone (5). A method characterized by the above.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interface device (21) is arranged on a handlebar of the vehicle (1).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the selected command is executed on the smartphone (5).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the selected command is transmitted from the smartphone (5) to the vehicle (1) and the selected command is executed on the vehicle (1).

5. The command comprises at least one of a command for executing a function in the vehicle (1) and a request for transmitting information from the vehicle (1) to the smartphone (5). The method according to claim 4, characterized by the above.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the smartphone (5) is adapted to generate a confirmation that voice recognition has been activated.

7. The confirmation An audio or acoustic signal via a speaker (7) interface-connected to a smartphone (5), and An optical or visual signal on the display of the smartphone (5) or a display interface-connected thereto One or more of The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises

8. Including the step of requesting the driver (2) to confirm the execution of the selected command using the smartphone (5), Executing the selected command only when the confirmation is provided by the driver (2), Preferably, the confirmation is provided by the interface device (21) The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises

9. The smartphone (5) is adapted to associate customized voice commands with preset commands in the programming process The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises

10. An inclined saddle-type vehicle (1) comprising a central control device (23), at least one steering wheel (13), and a steering member (11) for acting on the steering wheel (13), An interface device (21) on the steering member (11), A smartphone (5) in a data exchange relationship with the central control device (23) of the vehicle (1) A system comprising The smartphone (5) is adapted to activate a voice recognition function based on the reception of an activation command, and the transmission of the activation command is controlled by the interface device (21), Using the interface device (21) to transmit a request to activate the voice recognition function to the central control device (23) of the vehicle (1), By using the central control device (23) of the vehicle (1) to transmit a command for activating the voice recognition function in the smartphone (5) to the smartphone (5), the voice recognition function is activated, and The smartphone (5) is adapted to select a command from a series of commands preset in the smartphone based on a voice command received by the smartphone (5) and recognized by the voice recognition function A system characterized in that it comprises The system according to claim 10, characterized in that the interface device (21) is arranged on the handlebar of the vehicle (1). **Claim 12**: The smartphone (5) is adapted to associate a plurality of voice commands with a corresponding plurality of pre-set commands, where each of the commands can be one of a command executable on the smartphone (5) and a command executable on the vehicle (1). The system according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that. **Claim 13**: At least one of the pre-set commands is a request for information to be transmitted from the vehicle (1) to the smartphone (5), a command for executing a function of the vehicle (1), and a command for executing a function of the smartphone (5). The system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that it includes at least one of the above. **Claim 14**: At least one of the smartphone (5) and the central control device (23) is configured to request confirmation of the execution of a command selected by a voice command, and the confirmation of the execution is preferably performed by the interface device (21). The system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that. **Claim 15**: The smartphone (5) is connected to the central control device (23) of the vehicle (1) by a wireless connection, in particular, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi connection. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that. ​

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