Vehicle Personal Assistant Context-Aware Information Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current options for drivers to understand complex vehicle features are inadequate, leading to underutilization of helpful vehicle functions due to the lack of effective and affordable information access.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle personal assistant that uses real-time sensor inputs to determine the current context and style of presentation, providing information and assistance through natural language conversations, text, images, or video based on driving behavior and conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If drivers access vehicle feature information through traditional means (manuals, call centers), then information accuracy is maintained, but accessibility and convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device that captures images of vehicle features and transmits them to a remote system. This intermediary enables drivers to visually document and query vehicle features without physically accessing manuals or contacting call centers, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining information accuracy through professional remote analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical information delivery systems (physical manuals, human call center agents) with an automated digital system. The system uses image capture, digital transmission, and automated processing to substitute the mechanical interactions of flipping through manuals or speaking with call center representatives, significantly improving ease of access to vehicle information.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex vehicle features are equipped, then vehicle functionality is improved, but ease of understanding and operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables drivers to capture images of vehicle features in advance and submit them for analysis before needing to understand or use them. This preliminary action of documenting the feature allows the remote system to provide pre-prepared explanations and guidance, making complex features more understandable before the driver attempts to operate them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visual intermediary (camera images) that bridges the gap between complex vehicle features and driver understanding. By converting physical features into visual documentation that can be analyzed and explained remotely, the system makes complex functionalities more accessible and easier to understand without reducing the vehicle's advanced capabilities.
3Reliability
If live call center services are used, then information accuracy is maintained, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a partial action approach where only specific, image-captured vehicle features are analyzed remotely, rather than requiring comprehensive live call center coverage for all possible queries. This selective analysis maintains information accuracy for actual driver needs while reducing overall service costs by eliminating unnecessary comprehensive human support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes expensive human call center mechanics with an automated system that uses image capture, digital transmission, and automated processing. This substitution maintains information accuracy through professional remote analysis while dramatically reducing the operational costs associated with maintaining large call center services.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle personal assistant to engage a user in a conversational dialog about vehicle-related topics, such as those commonly found in a vehicle owner's manual, includes modules to interpret spoken natural language input, search a vehicle knowledge base and/or other data sources for pertinent information, and respond to the user's input in a conversational fashion. The dialog may be initiated by the user or more proactively by the vehicle personal assistant based on events that may be currently happening in relation to the vehicle. The vehicle personal assistant may use real-time inputs obtained from the vehicle and/or non-verbal inputs from the user to enhance its understanding of the dialog and assist the user in a variety of ways.