Patent EP0059952A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0059952A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for controlling a plurality of devices
Assignee: Denso Corp
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Filing: 1982-03-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-03-05
Abstract
Abstract A demand for a change in the operating condition of at least one of a plurality of vehicle mounted devices is issued by means of a single push button switch (2) attached to the center of the steering wheel (1). When the vehicle occupant intends to manipulate a device such as a radio, stereo unit or an air conditioner, he depresses the switch to supply a microcomputer with a demand signal. The microcomputer (3) produces an instruction signal with which a sound synthesizer (8) produces sequential vocal annoucements which are emitted via a speaker (9). The occupant depresses the switch again within a predetermined period of time after the emission of a vocal announcement naming a device intended to control so that the sound synthesizer now provides various manipulative information relating to the available manipulations of the selected device. The driver depresses the switch to issue responsive instructions in response to an announcement of desired manipulation. The microcomputer thus operates to produce necessary control signals which are fed to a corresponding control unit (5, 6, 7) of the selected device. A sound recognizer (11) may be used in place of or together with the switch (2) to detect the demand and responsive instruction from the driver.
Inventors
- 👤 Tadao Nojiri
- 👤 Kenji Kanamaru
- 👤 Masahiro Matsuyama
- 👤 Takayoshi Nishikawa
- 👤 Yoji Ito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 16:16
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R16/00; B60R16/02; B60R16/037; B60R16/0373; B60H; B60H1/00; B60H1/00642; B60H1/00735; B60H1/00757; H; H03; H03G; H03G1/00; H03G1/02; H03J; H03J1/00; H03J1/02; H03J1/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of controlling devices each having at least one manipulative element, comprising the steps of: (a) detecting an action of an operator indicating that a demand has occurred for a change in operating conditions of at least one of said devices which are arranged to operate under the control of predetermined instructions; (b) emitting sequential vocal announcements each corresponding to the manipulations of manipulative elements of said devices in response to the detection of said action, each ot said vocal announcements being emitted at an interval to allow the operator to issue responsive instructions; (c) monitoring said responsive instructions from the operator for a predetermined period of time after the emission of each annbuncement; and (d) changing the operating conditions of one of said devices by automatically operating one of said manipulative element which has been announced just before the receipt of said responsive instructions.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of controlling devices each having at least one manipulative element, comprising the steps of: (a) detecting an action of an operator indicating that a demand has occurred for a change in operating conditions of at least one of said devices which are arranged to operate under the control of predetermined instructions; (b) emitting sequential vocal announcements each corresponding to the manipulations of manipulative elements of said devices in response to the detection of said action, each ot said vocal announcements being emitted at an interval to allow the operator to issue responsive instructions; (c) monitoring said responsive instructions from the operator for a predetermined period of time after the emission of each annbuncement; and (d) changing the operating conditions of one of said devices by automatically operating one of said manipulative element which has been announced just before the receipt of said responsive instructions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said step of detecting is performed by detecting a predetermined condition of a manually operable switch or by detecting a predetermined vocal demand from said operator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said step of emiting vocal announcements comprises a step of synthesizing at least one predetermined vocal word by selectively reading the contents ot a memory in which data corresponding to various vocal words indicating said manipulations is stored.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said step of monitoring said responsive instructions is performed by detecting a predetermined condition of a manually operable switch or by detecting a predetermined vocal demand from said operator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said step of emitting vocal announcements comprises a step of emitting a vocal sound only when no responsive instruction is detected within said predetermined period of time.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method as claimed in Claim 3, further comprising a step ot changing a designation region with which predetermined contents of a predetermined region in said memory are read out, said step of changing the designation region being performed, when said responsive instructions are detected within said predetermined period of time, by changing said designation region by one to a next region in a sequence predetermined for each of said regions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method as claimed in Claim 6, further comprising another step of changing the designation region in a different manner from the first-mentioned changing step, said another step of changing being performed when said responsive instructions are not detected within said predetermined period of time, while the designation region assumes one of predetermined designation regions, said another step of changing the designation region being performed to change said designation region by one
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said operating conditons to be controlled includes on/off operation, tuning and sound volume control of a radio mounted on a motor vehicle; on/off operation and sound volume control of a stereo unit mounted on said motor vehicle; and on/off operation, temperature adjustment, airflow rate control and air outlet switching of an air conditioning system mounted on said motor vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
240 words
Apparatus for controlling devices each having at least one manipulative element, comprising: (a) control means for effecting manipulative control of each of said devices in accordance with manipulative instruction signals; (b) means responsive to the action of an operator for receiving a demand for a change in operating conditions of at least one of said devices; (c) vocal announcements emitting means for emitting sequential vocal sounds indicative of the names of said devices in response to the detection of said action, said vocal announcements being emitted at an interval to allow the operator to issue responsive instructions, said vocal announcements emitting means being capable of emitting sequential vocal sounds indicating the names of manipulative elements of each of said devices ; (d) means responsive to said responsive instructions from the operator for a predetermined period of time after the emission of each announcement for controlling said vocal announcement emitting means so that said vocal announcements indicating the names of said manipulative elements of one of said devices are emitted in a sequence when said responsive instructions are received within said predetermined period of time after the emission of each announcement indicative of one of said devices; and (e) means for producing said manipulative instruction signals to cause said control means to effect a desired manipulation of said manipulative elements which has been announced just before the receipt of said responsive instructions which are received within said predetermined period of time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
240 words
Apparatus for controlling devices each having at least one manipulative element, comprising: (a) control means for effecting manipulative control of each of said devices in accordance with manipulative instruction signals; (b) means responsive to the action of an operator for receiving a demand for a change in operating conditions of at least one of said devices; (c) vocal announcements emitting means for emitting sequential vocal sounds indicative of the names of said devices in response to the detection of said action, said vocal announcements being emitted at an interval to allow the operator to issue responsive instructions, said vocal announcements emitting means being capable of emitting sequential vocal sounds indicating the names of manipulative elements of each of said devices ; (d) means responsive to said responsive instructions from the operator for a predetermined period of time after the emission of each announcement for controlling said vocal announcement emitting means so that said vocal announcements indicating the names of said manipulative elements of one of said devices are emitted in a sequence when said responsive instructions are received within said predetermined period of time after the emission of each announcement indicative of one of said devices; and (e) means for producing said manipulative instruction signals to cause said control means to effect a desired manipulation of said manipulative elements which has been announced just before the receipt of said responsive instructions which are received within said predetermined period of time.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
84 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said means responsive to the action comprises a manually operable switch; wherein said means responsive to the action comprises a sound recognizer which detects a predetermined vocal demand from said operator; wherein said vocal announcements emitting means comprises a sound synthesizer which produces vocal sounds by reading out contents of a predetermined region of a memory; wherein said means responsive to said responsive instructions comprises a sound recognizer which detects a predetermined vocal word from said operator.
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