Hearable Voice Control with User Location for Vehicle Actuators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle infotainment systems lack efficient voice-controlled interfaces that allow drivers to operate vehicle functions without taking their hands off the wheel, and there is a need for improved voice recognition technology to enhance user interaction with vehicle control systems.
Innovation Solution
A mobile hearable device equipped with near field magnetic induction (NFMI) or near field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) transceivers and processors that receive voice commands, identify actuator control commands, and wirelessly communicate with a vehicle control system to control vehicle actuators based on the user's location within the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If voice recognition is used to allow drivers to communicate with vehicle control systems, then hands-free operation is enabled, but voice recognition accuracy and reliability may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments voice control functionality into multiple independent hearable devices distributed throughout the vehicle interior. Each hearable device independently captures voice signals from its local position, allowing the system to divide the voice recognition task across multiple spatial locations rather than relying on a single centralized microphone system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges signals from multiple hearable devices located at different positions within the vehicle. By combining voice signals captured from multiple spatial locations, the system improves overall voice recognition accuracy and reliability while maintaining hands-free operation capability.
2Measurement precision
If multiple hearable devices are distributed throughout the vehicle interior, then voice signal capture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each hearable device is designed as a universal, multi-functional unit that can serve multiple purposes: capturing voice signals, determining user location, and communicating with the vehicle control system. This universality reduces overall system complexity by using identical standardized components throughout the vehicle rather than requiring different specialized devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearable devices automatically perform signal processing and coordinate with each other without requiring manual configuration. The system self-organizes by having each device independently capture signals and then merging them through automated processing, eliminating the need for complex manual setup and reducing operational complexity.
3Loss of information
If hearable devices are positioned at different locations, then user location can be determined, but signal transmission reliability may vary
Solution Approach 1:
Each hearable device is positioned at a specific location within the vehicle interior to capture voice signals from that local area. This local positioning allows the system to determine user location by identifying which hearable device receives the strongest or clearest voice signal, thereby losing minimal information about user position while maintaining reliable signal transmission from the user's immediate vicinity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables hands-free operation of vehicle functions through voice commands, improving user interaction and ensuring safety by allowing drivers to control vehicle systems like HVAC, lighting, and infotainment systems without manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a wireless transceiver configured as one of a near field magnetic induction (NFMI) transceiver and a near field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) transceiver
Implementation Method 2
a wireless transceiver configured as one of a near field magnetic induction (NFMI) transceiver and a near field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) transceiver
Implementation Method 3
a microphone; a processor coupled to the transceiver and the microphone and configured to: receive a speech signal from a user
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile hearable device for communicating with a vehicle control system is described. The mobile hearable device includes a microphone, and a wireless transceiver configured as one of a near field magnetic induction (NFMI) transceiver and a near field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) transceiver. The mobile hearable device includes a processor coupled to the transceiver and the microphone. The processor receives a location identifier via the transceiver from a location identification transmitter located in a vehicle, the location identification transmitter is configured as one of a NFMI transmitter and a NFEMI transmitter. If the processor receives a speech signal from a user of the mobile hearable device, it determines whether the speech signal includes an actuator control command and generates a control instruction comprising the actuator control command and the location identifier. The control instruction is transmitted to a vehicle control system and used to control an actuator in a vehicle dependent on the location of the person using the mobile hearable device.