Voice Control of Vehicular Elements via Lamp Housing Microphones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle systems require manual operation for controlling elements outside the cabin, such as hatches and trunks, which is inconvenient and distracting for drivers, increasing the risk of accidents, especially in urban areas, as hands are often occupied with objects.
Innovation Solution
A voice control method using microphones installed in lamp housings outside the vehicle cabin to detect verbal commands and automatically control vehicular elements like hatches, trunks, and air-conditioning systems through speech recognition, enhancing reliability with multiple microphone arrays and beamforming techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation is used for controlling vehicular elements outside the cabin, then the operation is simple and reliable, but the driver's attention is distracted and hands are occupied, increasing accident risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with voice-based acoustic control. Microphones detect verbal commands from outside the vehicle, which are then processed by speech recognition systems to automatically control vehicular elements like hatches and trunks, eliminating the need for hand operation while maintaining control reliability through multiple verification mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces voice commands as an intermediary between the user's intent and the vehicular element control. The voice recognition system acts as a mediator that translates spoken instructions into automated control actions, allowing hands-free operation while reducing driver distraction and improving safety
2Ease of operation
If microphones are installed outside the vehicular cabin for voice detection, then hands-free control is enabled, but the microphones are exposed to environmental noise and structural vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the microphone with the lamp housing structure, integrating the acoustic sensing function into an existing vehicle component. This merging provides the microphone with natural acoustic shielding from the housing structure while utilizing the lamp housing's existing mounting points and environmental protection, reducing exposure to external noise and vibrations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the lamp housing structure, which naturally blocks and filters environmental noise and vibrations, to protect the microphone. The housing that could potentially trap sound instead serves as an acoustic filter that allows voice detection while blocking harmful low-frequency vibrations and ambient noise from interfering with speech recognition
3Reliability
If multiple microphones are used for improved speech recognition, then the reliability of voice control is enhanced, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the voice detection function across multiple microphones positioned at different locations on the vehicle exterior. This segmentation allows the system to capture voice commands from various angles and distances, improving recognition reliability through spatial diversity while distributing the complexity across standard, off-the-shelf microphone components rather than requiring a single complex sensor
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 vehicular elements, improving driver safety and comfort by reducing manual intervention and enhancing the reliability of speech recognition through improved signal processing and microphone placement, leading to safer and more convenient vehicle control.
Implementation Method 1
detecting a verbal utterance by means of the at least one microphone to obtain at least one microphone signal
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for voice control of at least one vehicular element outside a vehicular cabin, comprising arranging at least one microphone, in particular, a directional microphone, in a lamp housing installed in the vehicle body outside the vehicular cabin, detecting a verbal utterance by means of the at least one microphone to obtain at least one microphone signal, processing the at least one microphone signal for speech recognition of the verbal utterance to obtain a recognition result and automatically controlling the at least one vehicular element on the basis of the recognition result. The invention also provides a lamp housing in the vehicle body outside the vehicular cabin comprising one or more microphones.