US6240347B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle accessory control with integrated voice and manual activation
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
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Filing: 1998-10-13
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Granted: 2001-05-29
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Expires: 2018-10-13
Abstract
Abstract A voice activated control system responsive to spoken voice commands is integrated with an advanced central display/control unit having dedicated and reconfigurable push buttons to control individual vehicle accessories in a complementary fashion as well as in standalone modes. The two controllers share additional input and output resources including reconfigurable steering wheel switches and a heads-up display showing the current configuration of the steering wheel switches. Thus, a driver can control a plurality of adjustable parameters of a plurality of vehicle accessories with a convenient and easy to use interface which makes efficient use of hardware and reduces costs.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles Allen Everhart
- 👤 Florian Frischmuth
- 👤 Gary John Rushton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 19:38
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R16/00; B60R16/02; B60R16/037; B60R16/0373; B60K; B60K35/00; B60K35/10; B60K35/20; B60K35/21; B60K35/23; B60K35/231; B60K35/65; B60K35/654; G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/01; B60K2360/00; B60K2360/143; B60K2360/148; B60K2360/20; B60K2360/33; B60K2360/334; G02B27/0101; G02B2027/014
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
250 words
Apparatus in a automotive vehicle wherein said vehicle has a passenger cabin with a steering wheel, an instrument panel, and a front window, said apparatus for controlling a controllable accessory having a plurality of controllable function parameters, said apparatus comprising: a speech processor coupled to said controllable accessory, said speech processor recognizing spoken sounds and transmitting corresponding commands to said controllable accessory; a central display/control unit coupled to said controllable accessory, said central display/control unit including a visual display displaying current values of said controllable function parameters and including a plurality of control elements for manually selecting desired changes in said current values, said central display/control unit transmitting commands corresponding to said desired changes to said controllable accessory; reconfigurable control elements coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit and mounted on said steering wheel for adjusting current values of said controllable function paramcters, wherein said reconfigurable control elements can be reconfigured to a selected parameter by either said speech processor or said central display/control unit; and a heads-up display coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit displaying at least one indicator above said instrument panel, said indicator corresponding to said selected parameter to identify a current configuration of said reconfigurable control elements; wherein said speech processor and said central display/control unit pass a token between them which identifies which one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit can interact with said reconfigurable control elements and said heads-up display at any particular time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
250 words
Apparatus in a automotive vehicle wherein said vehicle has a passenger cabin with a steering wheel, an instrument panel, and a front window, said apparatus for controlling a controllable accessory having a plurality of controllable function parameters, said apparatus comprising: a speech processor coupled to said controllable accessory, said speech processor recognizing spoken sounds and transmitting corresponding commands to said controllable accessory; a central display/control unit coupled to said controllable accessory, said central display/control unit including a visual display displaying current values of said controllable function parameters and including a plurality of control elements for manually selecting desired changes in said current values, said central display/control unit transmitting commands corresponding to said desired changes to said controllable accessory; reconfigurable control elements coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit and mounted on said steering wheel for adjusting current values of said controllable function paramcters, wherein said reconfigurable control elements can be reconfigured to a selected parameter by either said speech processor or said central display/control unit; and a heads-up display coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit displaying at least one indicator above said instrument panel, said indicator corresponding to said selected parameter to identify a current configuration of said reconfigurable control elements; wherein said speech processor and said central display/control unit pass a token between them which identifies which one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit can interact with said reconfigurable control elements and said heads-up display at any particular time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said heads-up display is comprised of an eyebrow display mounted proximate to an interface between said instrument panel and said front window.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controllable accessory, said speech processor, said central display/control unit, said reconfigurable control elements, and said heads-up display are interconnected by a multiplex network.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reconfigurable control elements are comprised of up, down, left, and right push buttons, and wherein said heads-up display shows indicators specifying respective adjustment actions for changing said current values of said controllable function parameters that will result upon activation of said push buttons in a current configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said indicators shown by said heads-up display are configured by the one of said speech processor and said central display/control unit identified by said token.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
343 words
A method of controlling an automotive accessory in a vehicle having a passenger cabin with a steering wheel and an instrument panel, wherein said controllable accessory has a plurality of controllable function parameters, and wherein said method utilizes a speech processor, a central display/control unit, reconfigurable control elements, and a heads-up display, said speech processor being coupled to said controllable accessory and recognizing spoken sounds and transmitting corresponding commands to said controllable accessory, said central display/control unit being coupled to said controllable accessory and including a visual display displaying current values of said controllable function parameters and a plurality of control elements for manually selecting desired changes in said current values, said central display/control unit transmitting commands corresponding to said desired changes to said controllable accessory, said reconfigurable control elements being coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit and mounted on said steering wheel for adjusting current values of said controllable function parameters, said reconfigurable control elements being reconfigurable to a selected parameter by either said speech processor or said central display/control unit, said heads-up display being coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit for displaying at least one indicator above said instrument panel, said indicator corresponding to said selected parameter to identify a current configuration of said reconfigurable control elements, said method comprising: commanding an adjustment action using a selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit; said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit transmitting an assert token message to the other one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit; said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit transmitting a display message to said heads-up display in response to said commanded adjustment action to identify a configuration of said reconfigurable control elements; and said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit monitoring said reconfigurable control elements for further adjustment commands while said other one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit ignores said reconfigurable control elements.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
343 words
A method of controlling an automotive accessory in a vehicle having a passenger cabin with a steering wheel and an instrument panel, wherein said controllable accessory has a plurality of controllable function parameters, and wherein said method utilizes a speech processor, a central display/control unit, reconfigurable control elements, and a heads-up display, said speech processor being coupled to said controllable accessory and recognizing spoken sounds and transmitting corresponding commands to said controllable accessory, said central display/control unit being coupled to said controllable accessory and including a visual display displaying current values of said controllable function parameters and a plurality of control elements for manually selecting desired changes in said current values, said central display/control unit transmitting commands corresponding to said desired changes to said controllable accessory, said reconfigurable control elements being coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit and mounted on said steering wheel for adjusting current values of said controllable function parameters, said reconfigurable control elements being reconfigurable to a selected parameter by either said speech processor or said central display/control unit, said heads-up display being coupled to said speech processor and said central display/control unit for displaying at least one indicator above said instrument panel, said indicator corresponding to said selected parameter to identify a current configuration of said reconfigurable control elements, said method comprising: commanding an adjustment action using a selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit; said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit transmitting an assert token message to the other one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit; said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit transmitting a display message to said heads-up display in response to said commanded adjustment action to identify a configuration of said reconfigurable control elements; and said selected one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit monitoring said reconfigurable control elements for further adjustment commands while said other one of said speech processor or said central display/control unit ignores said reconfigurable control elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising: identifying said controllable function parameter using said speech processor; transmitting an assert token message from said speech processor to said central display/control unit; transmitting a display message from said speech processor to said heads-up display in response to said identified controllable function parameter; altering a menu state of said central display/control unit to match said identified controllable function parameter; and accepting adjustment commands for said controllable function parameter from any of said speech processor, said reconfigurable control elements, or said central display/control unit.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-05-28 | 2004-11-27 | 2005-05-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-28 | 2008-11-27 | 2009-05-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-28 | 2012-11-27 | 2013-05-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |