In-Car Voice Control With Highlighted Buttons for Faster Manual Operation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle-mounted device operation systems require manual fine adjustments and tweaking, which can be cumbersome and inconvenient for occupants, especially when trying to control devices like air conditioners or audio systems while driving.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle-mounted device operation system that integrates speech recognition to automatically activate devices and highlight their operating parts, allowing for intuitive manual operation without releasing the steering wheel, with adaptive lighting based on ambient illuminance and hierarchical display information for improved usability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple operating parts are provided for device control, then functionality is enhanced, but finding the correct operating part becomes time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidsearch time for operating part
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses color changes (highlighting) of operating parts to indicate which button should be pressed next. This visual signaling system allows users to quickly locate the correct operating part among multiple buttons without searching, as the relevant button is distinctly highlighted to guide the user's attention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Illumination intensity

If operating parts are highlighted with high brightness, then visibility is improved, but discomfort increases in dark environments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating part visibilityVSAvoiddriver discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic brightness adjustment of the highlighted operating parts based on ambient light conditions. The system automatically adapts the highlighting intensity to match the surrounding environment, ensuring visibility in dark conditions without causing discomfort through excessive brightness in well-lit areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3670237B1Vehicle-mounted device operation system
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3670237B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3670237B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3670237B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A vehicle-mounted device operation system includes: a sound collector (26) located in a vehicle cabin, and configured to collect speech of an occupant; a speech determining unit (56) configured to determine whether a command to a vehicle-mounted device is included in a content of the speech of the occupant collected by the sound collector; a vehicle-mounted device activating unit (58) configured to activate the vehicle-mounted device according to the command, when the speech determining unit determines that the command to the vehicle-mounted device is included in the content of the speech of the occupant; an operating part (22, 24) located in the vehicle cabin, and configured to be subjected to operation for manually operating the vehicle-mounted device; and a highlighting unit (60) configured to highlight the operating part for the vehicle-mounted device activated by the vehicle-mounted device activating unit.