Voice-Activated Vehicle Calling Using GNSS and Visual Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, such as waving, honking, or cellular calls, are inefficient and can be misunderstood or rude, and there is a need for a more effective means of communication between vehicle occupants.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-to-vehicle communication system using a Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) to determine location, a radiofrequency cellular transceiver to communicate with a remote server, and a processor to initiate voice communication with nearby vehicles based on voice commands and visual identification, leveraging a camera for image capture and speech recognition to identify the target vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional communication methods (waving, honking, flashing headlights) are used, then communication between vehicle occupants can be initiated, but misunderstandings or rude interpretations may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote server as an intermediary that facilitates vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The server receives location data from vehicles, identifies nearby vehicles, and enables audio communication without direct contact between vehicles. This mediator eliminates the need for ambiguous visual signals while maintaining clear communication intent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical communication methods (waving, honking, flashing lights) with electronic/digital communication systems. Vehicles use transceivers to send and receive audio signals through a networked server, substituting physical gestures and sounds with digital audio transmission for clearer communication.
2Reliability
If vehicles are close enough to lower windows for audible communication, then direct speech is possible, but the vehicles must be very close together
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal communication system that works across all distance ranges. The server-based audio communication system allows vehicles to communicate clearly whether they are close together or farther apart, eliminating the distance constraint of window-lowering communication while maintaining reliability through electronic audio transmission.
3Reliability
If cellular telephone calls are used to communicate between known occupants, then direct voice communication is achieved, but cellular numbers are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic vehicle identification and matching based on location data. When a vehicle requests communication, the server automatically identifies nearby vehicles and establishes the communication link without requiring users to manually input phone numbers or contact information. The system serves itself by automating the connection process.
4Measurement precision
If gaze-based vehicle identification is implemented, then visual identification of target vehicle is achieved, but camera and image processing are required
Solution Approach 1:
The remote server acts as an intermediary that handles the complex image processing and vehicle identification tasks. The camera captures images of nearby vehicles and sends them to the server, which performs the sophisticated image recognition and matching against stored vehicle data. This distributes the computational complexity from the vehicle to the server.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle has a Global Satellite Navigation System receiver to determine a current location, a microphone to capture a voice command of a user and a processor executing a speech recognition module to process the voice command to determine that the user is requesting that a call be initiated a nearby vehicle and to determine from the voice command of the user a visual identification of the nearby vehicle to call. The vehicle includes a radiofrequency cellular transceiver cooperating with the processor to transmit the visual identification of the nearby vehicle and the current location to the remote server and to receive from the remote server a communication-availability of the nearby vehicle. The processor cooperates with the radiofrequency cellular transceiver or with a short-range vehicle-to-vehicle transceiver of the vehicle to initiate a voice communication with the one of the nearby vehicles with which the user wishes to initiate the call.