In-Vehicle Pointing and Voice Control for Environmental Objects
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for interacting with environmental objects in a vehicle's vicinity require manual activation of voice control and multiple steps, causing driver distraction and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that combines gesture recognition to select an environmental object with automatic voice recognition to execute commands, minimizing driver interaction and enabling seamless interaction with surrounding objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual activation of voice control is required, then voice recognition accuracy can be ensured, but driver distraction increases and interaction efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically activating voice recognition mode when a pointing gesture is detected, eliminating the need for manual wake-up commands. The gesture recognition unit detects the pointing gesture and triggers the voice input unit to become active, preparing the system to receive voice commands without requiring additional driver input.
Solution Approach 2:
The pointing gesture serves as an intermediary signal that bridges the gap between passive voice recognition and active command execution. The gesture recognition unit acts as a mediator that detects the driver's intent and automatically activates the appropriate voice recognition mode, reducing the need for manual activation while maintaining accuracy.
2Reliability
If multiple interaction steps are required, then system control can be precise, but interaction time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the object selection function and the command execution function into a single integrated interaction sequence. The evaluation unit combines the pointing gesture data with the voice command to determine both the environmental object and the desired action simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate selection and execution steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of the environmental object through gesture recognition before the voice command is processed. This allows the evaluation unit to be pre-configured with the correct object context, enabling faster and more accurate command execution without requiring additional confirmation steps.
3Ease of operation
If voice control is continuously active, then interaction convenience is improved, but false activation increases and system reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the pointing gesture before activating voice recognition. This preliminary action ensures that voice control is only activated when the driver has a specific environmental object in mind, reducing false activations while maintaining convenience for legitimate interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the gesture recognition unit to control the activation state of the voice input unit. When a pointing gesture is detected, the system provides feedback by activating voice recognition; when no gesture is detected, voice recognition remains inactive, preventing false activations while maintaining ease of operation for intentional commands.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The method according to the invention for interaction with an environment object in the surroundings of a vehicle involves a pointing gesture by a user who is in the vehicle in the direction of an environment object being captured by sensor means (1). The captured pointing gesture is used to determine the environment object (2). Confirmation that the environment object has been detected is output to the user (3). A voice input by the user is captured (4). Automatic voice recognition and interpretation of the voice input are used to determine a voice command relating to the detected environment object (5). The determined voice command is executed (6) by virtue of information about the detected environment object being output to the user and/or a vehicle function related to the detected environment object being executed.