Vehicular Digital Assistant Coordination via Application Selector

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Solution Overview

Problem

Excessive network transmissions of network traffic data between computing devices can lead to inefficient processing, delayed responses, and poor bandwidth utilization, especially when invalid requests are included.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilize a natural language processor to identify requests and commands in audio inputs, and a configuration tracker to determine which digital assistant application, hosted on a vehicle's data processing system or accessible via a client device, can support the command, thereby selecting the appropriate application for invocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple digital assistant applications are coordinated across vehicle and client devices, then functionality and versatility are improved, but device complexity and network transmission overhead increase

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

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments digital assistant functionality across multiple devices (vehicle data processing system and client devices). Each device runs its own digital assistant application with specific functionalities, allowing the system to provide comprehensive services while keeping individual device complexity manageable through clear functional division.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements universal digital assistant capabilities across multiple devices. The same digital assistant application can run on both the vehicle data processing system and client devices, providing consistent functionality (voice recognition, command processing, response generation) across different platforms while adapting to device-specific resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If digital assistant applications are hosted on both vehicle data processing system and client devices, then adaptability is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases due to excessive transmissions

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining digital assistant applications in a ready state on both vehicle and client devices. Configuration information about available applications and their capabilities is pre-established, allowing the system to quickly determine which device should handle a given command without excessive network transmission for capability discovery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism (the data processing system that coordinates between vehicle and client devices) that manages application selection and command routing. This intermediary optimizes network usage by determining the most appropriate device to execute each command based on capability matching, reducing unnecessary network transmissions between devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the system coordinates multiple digital assistant applications across devices, then response quality is improved through capability matching, but processing time increases due to coordination overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse qualityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical coordination mechanisms with a software-based application selector component. This software component automatically matches commands with appropriate digital assistant applications based on pre-configured capability information, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex inter-device negotiation protocols that would increase processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of application selection from dynamic real-time negotiation to static pre-configured capability matching. By establishing capability profiles for each digital assistant application in advance, the system can quickly determine the appropriate application for a given command by comparing command requirements against pre-stored capability parameters, significantly reducing processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4273696B1Multiple digital assistant coordination in vehicular environments
Publication Date: 2025.06.04 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP4273696B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4273696B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4273696B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure is generally related to a data processing system to selectively invoke applications for execution. A data processing system can receive an input audio signal and can parse the input audio signal to identify a command. The data processing system can identify a first functionality of a first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system in the vehicle and a second functionality of a second digital assistant application accessible via a client device. The data processing system can determine that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command. The data processing system can select one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application based on the determination. The data processing system invoke one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application based on the selection.