In-Vehicle Voice Response Timing Under Poor Network Conditions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing voice control systems in vehicles face user experience issues due to long wait times for response audio files during poor network conditions, leading to low sound quality when offline synthesis is required.

Innovation Solution

A voice control method that determines latency data based on vehicle scenes and network predictions, adjusting the waiting period for response audio files to improve time tolerance and reduce offline synthesis frequency, thereby enhancing user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the vehicle waits for the complete response audio file from the server, then the audio quality is improved, but the waiting time increases under poor network conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio qualityVSAvoidwaiting time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary network condition assessment and pre-judges whether to wait for online audio or switch to offline synthesis by evaluating network latency and packet loss rates before the audio transmission completes, allowing proactive decision-making rather than reactive waiting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the waiting strategy based on real-time network conditions, transitioning from a static wait-or-synthesize decision to a dynamic, condition-based approach where the vehicle can adaptively extend waiting period, switch to offline synthesis, or use hybrid approaches depending on network performance metrics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of time

If the vehicle uses offline synthesis for response audio, then the waiting time is reduced, but the audio quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaiting timeVSAvoidaudio quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different quality standards and synthesis approaches for different audio content types, using high-quality offline synthesis only when necessary while maintaining online transmission for non-critical audio, thereby optimizing the balance between quality and speed for different portions of the audio response

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Manufacturing precision

If the vehicle extends the waiting period for online audio, then the audio quality is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes key parameters such as waiting period duration, network threshold values, and synthesis quality settings based on evaluated network conditions, allowing flexible adaptation without requiring complex architectural modifications to the underlying audio transmission and synthesis systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3923271B1Voice control method, vehicle, server and storage medium
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 GUANGZHOU XIAOPENG MOTORS TECH CO LTD
  • EP3923271B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3923271B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3923271B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A voice control method, vehicle, server and storage medium are disclosed. The voice control method includes: acquiring and transmitting a voice command to a server by an vehicle terminal; processing, by the server, the voice command to obtain a corresponding response audio file, determining latency data based on a vehicle scene, and sending the latency data to the vehicle terminal; performing by the vehicle terminal network prediction to obtain a prediction result; determining, by the vehicle terminal, a waiting period based on the latency data and the prediction result; performing, by the vehicle terminal, a synthesis operation for the response audio file and playing the synthesized response audio file, when complete data of the response audio file transmitted by the server is not received within the waiting period; play the response audio file transmitted from the server 200 when the complete data of the response audio file transmitted from the server 200 is received within the waiting period. The voice control method determines the waiting period based on the latency data and the prediction result, which ensures the flexibility of service and reduces the offline frequency in the case of poor network conditions.