In-Vehicle Assistant Authorization Under Bandwidth Constraints

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automated assistants in vehicles face inefficiencies due to bandwidth restrictions and access limitations, leading to wasted computational and communication resources when multiple users interact, particularly in scenarios where network coverage is limited, such as during vehicle motion.

Innovation Solution

Implementing access restrictions that allow authorized users to override limitations, enabling other users to authorize command execution without re-submitting inputs, and dynamically adjusting access based on vehicle occupancy and context, such as route or destination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If access restrictions are enforced to protect user data privacy, then data security is improved, but system responsiveness and user convenience deteriorate due to repeated authorization requests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidsystem responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining authorization from the restricted user before the restricted user submits their input. The vehicle computing device determines whether authorization exists in advance, and only processes the restricted user's input if authorization is confirmed. This preliminary authorization check eliminates the need for repeated authorization requests during interaction, improving system responsiveness while maintaining data security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple round trips between vehicle computing device and remote server are performed to handle authorization, then data access control is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess controlVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authorization verification before processing the restricted user's input. By determining whether authorization exists in advance (before the restricted user submits input), the system avoids multiple round trips between the vehicle computing device and remote server that would otherwise be needed to handle authorization requests during the interaction. This reduces network bandwidth consumption while maintaining access control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts the authorization check from the main input processing flow and performs it separately in advance. By separating the authorization verification step from the input processing step, the system can determine whether to accept the restricted user's input without requiring additional communication rounds during the actual interaction, thereby reducing network bandwidth usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the automated assistant processes every user input through full authorization checks, then data security is maintained, but computational resources are wasted on repeated processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidcomputational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of authorization status before the restricted user submits their input. The vehicle computing device determines whether authorization from the restricted user exists in advance, and only processes the restricted user's input if authorization is confirmed. This preliminary check prevents wasted computational resources on processing inputs that would be rejected due to lack of authorization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs a partial authorization check by determining whether authorization exists without requiring the full authorization workflow. By checking only whether authorization is present (rather than re-verifying it), the system maintains data security while avoiding excessive computational processing that would occur with repeated full authorization checks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3774453B1Modalities for authorizing access when operating an automated assistant enabled vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.09.20 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3774453B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3774453B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3774453B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

Implementations relate to enabling of authorization of certain automated assistant functions via one or more modalities available within a vehicle. Implementations can eliminate wasting of computational and communication resources by at least allowing other users to authorize execution of certain input commands from a user, without requesting the user to re-submit the commands. The vehicle can include a computing device that provides access to restricted data, which can be accessed in order for an action to be performed by the automated assistant. However, when a restricted user requests that the automated assistant perform an action involving accessing the restricted data, the automated assistant can be authorized or unauthorized to proceed with fulfilling the request via a modality controlled by an unrestricted user. The unrestricted user can also cause contextual restrictions to be established for limiting functionality of the automated assistant during a trip, for certain types of requests, and/or for certain passengers.