Abstract:
A method and system for dynamically augmenting available voice commands in an automobile voice recognition system to actuate a vehicle subsystem is disclosed. The method includes scanning the voice recognition system for grammar data indicative of a system function, converting the grammar data to a usable command for access by a system user, and then storing the usable command in a system memory for use by the system user to carry out the system function.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to speech recognition in automobiles and to systems that allow a user to control various vehicle functions through direct voice commands.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Speech recognition in an automobile provides a user direct control of various vehicle functions via a plurality of voice commands. One of the benefits of speech recognition is to provide the user with the capability of performing a variety of complex tasks while minimizing the amount of overhead involved in performing the tasks.  
           [0003]    One difficulty not adequately addressed by prior art speech recognition system is the efficient and effective management of active available grammars (voice commands) in order to improve recognition accuracy. Current systems provide a fixed number of voice commands that must cover all the various vehicle systems to be controlled. One significant drawback of current systems is that a user is required to learn the numerous voice commands. For example, if a user wishes to play a specific song or a specific music disc, the user would have to know the list of songs and their order and the location of the music disc in the compact disc changer.  
           [0004]    Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved system and method for augmenting the available voice commands dynamically, thus allowing the user to add features dynamically in accordance with a vehicle&#39;s status. Preferably, the new and improved system will use run time dynamic grammars in conjunction with the various multimedia states. Such run time dynamic grammars are grammars that can be generated from, for example, ASCII data that are provided to a vehicle&#39;s speech recognizer.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention a method and system for dynamically augmenting available voice commands in an automobile voice recognition system to actuate a vehicle subsystem is disclosed. The method includes scanning the voice recognition system for grammar data indicative of a system function, converting the grammar data to a usable command for access by a system user, and then storing the usable command in a system memory for use by the system user to carry out the system function.  
           [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises determining whether the usable command is present in the system memory.  
           [0007]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises listening for commands spoken by the system user.  
           [0008]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises determining whether a user&#39;s spoken command is a valid command.  
           [0009]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises comparing the user&#39;s spoken command with a plurality of stored commands to determine whether the command is valid.  
           [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the grammar data is related to information stored on a removable storage media.  
           [0011]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the removable storage media is a compact disk and the grammar data is at least one of a name of a song, a title of the compact disk, and a track number associated with a song on the compact disk.  
           [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the grammar data is related to information received by an in-vehicle stereo.  
           [0013]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for dynamically augmenting available voice commands in an automobile voice recognition system to actuate a vehicle subsystem is provided. The system includes a controller for scanning the voice recognition system for grammar data indicative of a system function, and wherein the controller converts the grammar data to a usable command for access by a system user, and then stores the usable command in a storage media for later use by the system user to carry out the system function.  
           [0014]    Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a voice recognition system that utilizes voice recognition technology to operate various vehicle subsystems in a vehicle, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an in-vehicle voice recognition system, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 are block diagrams illustrating how the voice system may be operated by a system user, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for dynamically augmenting the voice recognition system, in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for actuating the subsystems connected to the voice system using dynamically augmented commands, in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    Referring now to FIG. 1, an in-vehicle voice recognition activation system  20  is illustrated, in accordance with the present invention. System  20  includes a control module  21 , in communication with a system activation switch  22 , a microphone  23 , and a speaker  24 .  
         [0021]    System  20 , in an embodiment of the present invention, may include a display screen  26 . Screen  26 , for example, may be an electroluminescent display, a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor (active matrix) display or the like. Display screen  26  provides a user of system  20  with system information. System information may include, for example, the system&#39;s status, available user commands, devices available for user operate, etc.  
         [0022]    Control module  21  includes a communication bus  28  for electrically connecting and communicating electrical signals to and from the various devices connected to module  21 . Further, module  21  has a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU)  30  connected to bus  28  for processing the various signals communicated to CPU  30  through bus  28 . Still further, module  21  has a plurality of electronic memory devices in communication with bus  28  for storing executable program code. The electronic memory devices  31  may include, for example, read only memory (ROM)  32 , and random access memory (RAM)  34  and/or non-volatile RAM  36 .  
         [0023]    A plurality of user devices will generally be connected to module  21  and bus  28  to provide a user with multiple system features. For example, system  20  may include an in-vehicle phone system  38 , a compact disc player  40 , an MP3 digital music player  42 , as well, as various other devices and/or subsystems.  
         [0024]    In an embodiment of the present invention, a voice recognition program and/or executable code is stored on memory devices  31  for access and execution by CPU  30 . System  20  provides a user with the capability to speak voice commands and using voice recognition technology including the executable codes stored in memory device  31 , the system translates the user&#39;s voice commands into control signals which actuate the various vehicle sub-systems.  
         [0025]    System  20  typically has a first or initial set of voice commands available for an operator to utilize. However, when a new device and/or new media is added to system  20 , a new set of additional commands need to be made available to the user. The present invention contemplates augmenting system  20 &#39;s voice commands with additional commands that are specific to the device or media being added or presently available. In this way, the present invention dynamically adds voice commands or grammar to voice recognition system  20  each time a new device and/or media is added to the system.  
         [0026]    In an embodiment of the present invention, voice recognition system information related to audio (CD, CDDJ, Mini disc, MP3 player, etc.) and or communication systems (cellular phone) is communicated to system  20  in order to simplify the user interface of these components. For example, information may be stored in data formats such as ASCI and transmitted between various vehicle subsystems and system  20 . In this way, valid grammar commands may be generated for the user to access. For example, when a mini disc (or compact disc) is placed into a disc changer, the mini disc will share information or data related to that disc with the voice system, via the communication or network bus. This information or data may include the disc name or title, the name of each track or song on the disc, etc. The voice system  20  will then take this ASCI data and generate a voice grammar command based upon this information. The user may then select a mini disc and a song track by name. For example, the user may say “play Hotel California”, where “Hotel California” is the name of a track or song on a particular music compact disc.  
         [0027]    Alternatively, the same technique may be used for an in-vehicle phone system with an address book feature. For example, the name of a contact may be added to the active available grammar or commands by the same technique. Further, the present invention contemplates adding radio station call letters to the active grammar so that a user could say “tune WJR” and the radio channel would change to the appropriate frequency.  
         [0028]    This technique is superior to current methods, which require a user to remember a specific track number or preset association with a song or station. For example, if a user wished to play a specific song on specific disc, they would have to know the list of songs and the order or specific location of a disc within a disc changer.  
         [0029]    The present invention advantageously provides speech recognition system with additional information via text to speech (TTS) or speech synthesis. For example the user could request the name of all the disc/media stored in a remote disc changer. From the ASCI information and TTS technology the names of the discs could be read to the user by system  20 . The user could query (via voice recognition) the name of the specific disc/media. For example, the user could say “what is disc three”. The system could then acquire the ASCI information and using TTS read it back to the user.  
         [0030]    In an embodiment of the present invention the user could request all of the tracks on the disc or media and have system  20  read the names back. They could also query (via voice recognition) the name of a specific song. For example, a user could ask “what is track seven”. The system would then acquire ASCI information and using TTS read it back to the user.  
         [0031]    In an embodiment of the present invention a user&#39;s phone book could be read back to them and/or navigated through. A user&#39;s phone contacts could be stored in a phone book of an in-vehicle phone, or a PDA device. Information could be transferred to system  20  via conventional wires or wirelessly via new technologies like Bluetooth.  
         [0032]    The present invention contemplates navigating an MP3 player using dynamically augmented voice grammar commands. An MP3 disc could hold hundreds of selections. Satellite radio extensions could also be requested by a user by speaking the extension.  
         [0033]    Referring now to FIG. 2 an embodiment of an in-vehicle voice recognition system  50  is illustrated in block diagram form. In the present embodiment, voice recognition system  52  essentially includes the components of the previous embodiments and may further be interfaced with a variety of in-vehicle subsystems, as will now be described.  
         [0034]    Voice system  52  is in communication with, for example, a disk media sub-system  54 , a radio  56  and a phone sub-system  58 . Typically, these subsystems are interfaced using electrical harnesses  16  and/or wireless communications, such as radio frequency or infrared technologies. Preferably, disk media sub-system  54  is a compact disk player or a DVD player. Information such as disk names, song names or titles, artists, etc. are transferred from the disk media sub-system  54  to voice system  52  automatically when new disks and other media are placed into the disk media sub-system. Similarly, radio sub-system  56  sends data, such as radio call letters and other like information to voice system  52 . Other information such as MP3 data where radio  56  incorporates an MP3 player may also be sent to voice system  52 . Phone sub-system  58  may send data regarding contacts in a phone address book to voice system  52  for access by a system user. Such data augments voice system  52 &#39;s available valid voice commands and allows a system user to manipulate the aforementioned sub-system using voice commands which are dynamically changing and being made available to a system user.  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 block diagrams illustrating how voice system  50  may be used are provided, in accordance with the present invention. For example, in FIG. 3 a system user may request the disk media sub-system  54  to provide information regarding the number of disks, the songs on the disks, a name or title of a particular disk, etc. Likewise, a user may ask phone sub-system  58  information regarding entries in a phone address book. For example, the user may ask for a phone number stored in the phone book by saying the name associated with the phone number. For example, a user may ask “whose phone number is stored in” a particular location in the phone book by providing the memory location. This information is provided to the user through a speaker or other audible device  80 .  
         [0036]    With specific reference to FIG. 4, it is illustrated in block diagram form the interaction between a user and voice system  52 . For example, a user may input or speak a command  53  along with information regarding the current contents or operation of a particular sub-system. For example, a user may request a particular song on a disk placed within sub-system  54 . Moreover, the user may communicate with other sub-systems such as the phone system  58  to place a call to a person listed in a phone book of phone sub-system  58 . In response, voice system  52  would issue a component or sub-system command signal  86  to actuate the given sub-system.  
         [0037]    Referring now to FIG. 5, a method for dynamically augmenting a voice recognition system is illustrated, in accordance with the present invention. Process  100  is initiated at block  102 . At block  104  the voice system scans for new grammar data available from each of the sub-systems. At block  106  system  52  determines whether new grammar data has been found. If no new grammar data is available, the process returns to block  102 . If new grammar data has been found, the data is stored in system memory for use by a system user, as represented by block  108 . As such, the present invention provides dynamic augmentation of the available voice commands of voice system  52 . After all available grammar has been stored for later use, the process is complete, as represented by block  110 .  
         [0038]    Referring now to FIG. 6, a process for actuating the sub-systems connected to voice system  52  using dynamically augmented commands is further illustrated, in accordance with the present invention. The process is initiated at block  202  and the system listens for commands spoken by a system user, as represented by block  204 . At block  206 , the system searches the stored commands. The commands spoken by the user are then identified as valid commands by matching the spoken commands with previously stored commands, as represented by block  208 . If a match is not found, the system determines that the command is not valid and listens for another command, as represented by block  208  and  204 . If at block  208  the system determines that the commands are valid, the commands are carried out, as represented by block  210 . In carrying out a user&#39;s valid command, the sub-systems are actuated. The process is complete after the sub-system has been actuated, as represented by block  212 .  
         [0039]    The foregoing discussion discloses and describes a preferred embodiment of the invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.