Vehicle Voice Command Routing Across Disparate IoT Ecosystems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing smart home ecosystems restrict interoperability, requiring devices from the same manufacturer or using the same communication protocol and operating system, limiting user choice and flexibility.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based AI system in vehicles processes voice commands, identifies the target ecosystem, and transmits commands using natural language understanding and modification, enabling interaction with disparate IoT ecosystems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If IoT ecosystems restrict devices to the same manufacturer or communication protocol, then system reliability and ease of operation are improved, but adaptability and device selection flexibility deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoiddevice selection flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between the voice assistant system and multiple IoT ecosystems. This gateway translates and routes commands to different ecosystem protocols (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit) without requiring the voice assistant to directly integrate with each ecosystem, thus maintaining system reliability while enabling broad adaptability across disparate device manufacturers and protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple IoT ecosystems are integrated through a gateway, then adaptability and device selection flexibility are improved, but device complexity and integration requirements worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveecosystem interoperabilityVSAvoidintegration platform complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the integration complexity by creating separate, dedicated modules within the gateway for each IoT ecosystem (Google Home module, Amazon Alexa module, Apple HomeKit module). Each module handles protocol-specific translation and command routing independently, allowing the gateway to support multiple ecosystems without requiring complex cross-integration logic, thus reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If voice commands are routed through cloud-based AI with natural language understanding, then ease of operation and user flexibility are improved, but processing time and system complexity worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoice command controlVSAvoidcommand processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the gateway with ecosystem-specific protocol mappings, device registries, and command translation rules during system initialization. When a voice command is received, the gateway can immediately route and translate commands without requiring real-time protocol negotiation or complex decision-making, thus maintaining ease of voice-based operation while minimizing processing time delays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12406663B2Routing of user commands across disparate ecosystems

Publication Date: 2025.09.02 CERENCE OPERATING CO

AI summary

A system for routing commands issued by a passenger of a vehicle to a Smart Home and/or an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem via a connection manager. Issued commands are obtained from utterances using speech recognition and analyzed using natural language understanding and natural language processing. Using the output of the natural understanding analysis, the connection manager determines where to send the command by identifying a target Smart Home and/or IoT ecosystem.