Vehicle Client Version Routing for Unsupported Intent Requests

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle computing devices, due to their long operational lifespan, often become incompatible with remote server devices as they are not updated to the latest versions, leading to inefficiencies in data transmission and resource wastage.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system where vehicle computing devices process spoken utterances locally and leverage server device capabilities for unsupported features, preserving computational and network resources by dynamically adjusting support based on device version.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the server device continues to support prior versions of computing devices, then compatibility and responsiveness are maintained, but system complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the version-specific processing logic from the server device and relocates it to the client device. The server device sends a version identifier to the client, and the client device determines whether to execute the intent request based on its own capabilities. This extraction eliminates the need for the server to maintain complex version-specific handling logic while preserving compatibility across different device versions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If the server device processes all intent requests, then service coverage is maintained, but unnecessary data transmissions and crashes occur for unsupported features

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice coverageVSAvoidwasteful data transmissions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having the client device determine version compatibility before executing or transmitting intent requests. The client device checks its version identifier against the required version for the intent request and pre-determines whether to proceed. This preliminary check prevents wasteful data transmissions and potential crashes by avoiding processing of unsupported features, while maintaining service coverage for compatible requests.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle computing device is upgraded to the latest version, then access to new features is enabled, but hardware limitations prevent prior versions from accessing updated functionality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeature accessVSAvoidcrash prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a version identifier as an intermediary mechanism between the client device and server device. The version identifier mediates the interaction by allowing the server to recognize the client's capabilities without requiring direct hardware upgrades. The client device includes the version identifier in communications, enabling the server to route requests appropriately and prevent crashes by avoiding requests for features unavailable in prior versions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4339940B1Directing a vehicle client device to use on-device functionality
Publication Date: 2026.05.13 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP4339940B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4339940B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4339940B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

Implementations set forth herein relate to phasing-out of vehicle computing device versions while ensuring useful responsiveness of any vehicle computing device versions that are still in operation. Certain features of updated computing devices may not be available to prior versions of computing devices because of hardware limitations. The implementations set forth herein eliminate crashes and wasteful data transmissions caused by prior versions of computing devices that have not been, or cannot be, upgraded. A server device can be responsive to a particular intent request provided to a vehicle computing device, despite the intent request being associated with an action that a particular version of the vehicle computing device cannot execute. In response, the server device can elect to provide speech to text data, and/or natural language understanding data, in furtherance of allowing the vehicle computing device to continue leveraging resources at the server device.