Wirelessly delivered owner's manual
View Patent ↗This invention is directed to a method of delivering vehicle owner's manual or other vehicle-specific information to the vehicle operator from a remote data center and associated vehicle information database by utilizing a voice recognition system at the remote data center and delivering the information to the vehicle operator in audible speech. The vehicle operator speaks his request in the vehicle and the data center recognizes the request, perhaps asks more questions, leads the vehicle operator through a spoken menu, and then provides the answer vocally to the vehicle operator over the speaker(s) located in the vehicle. The invention includes methodology for obtaining vehicle diagnostic information and controlling certain vehicle functions automatically via an embedded telematics control unit. The invention further includes remote telephone access outside the vehicle.
1. A method of assisting a vehicle operator in obtaining information about the various systems in a vehicle comprising:
initiating and establishing a wireless communication link to a remote data center;
speaking a command into said wireless communication link at the vehicle;
interpreting said spoken command with a server-based voice recognition system at the remote data center;
using the recognition output of said voice recognition system to obtain information from a database at said remote data center;
converting said database information into a computer-generated audio message; and
transmitting said audio message to the vehicle using said wireless communication link.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a computer-generated question at the remote data center requesting information from the vehicle operator, and
transmitting the computer-generated question as an audio message to the vehicle operator via the wireless communications link.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating a voice response to the question from the vehicle operator; and
transmitting the voice response to the remote data center via the wireless communications link.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating a question comprises generating a menu of options for selection by the vehicle operator using a voice interface.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting vehicle diagnostic information to the remote data center for obtaining the information from the database.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a connection between the vehicle operator and a live operator through the data center and wireless communications link in response to the voice command generated by the vehicle operator.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a computer generated audio request at the data center requesting that the vehicle operator take certain actions with respect to the vehicle; and
transmitting the computer-generated audio request to the vehicle operator via the wireless communications link.
8. A system for delivery of a wireless user manual comprising:
a vehicle unit located on a vehicle operable to:
establish a wireless communication link to a data center; and
transmit a user generated voice command via the wireless communications link; and
a data center linked to the vehicle unit by the wireless communications link and operable to:
interpret a voice command received via the wireless communications link with a voice recognition system;
obtain information from a database in response to the interpreted command; convert the database information into a computer-generated audio message; and
transmit the computer-generated audio message to the vehicle unit using said wireless communication link.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle unit comprises a telematics control unit providing diagnostic Information for transmission to the data center via the wireless communications link.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the telematics unit is further operable to perform in—vehicle tasks in response to user voice commands.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data center is further operable to:
generate a computer-generated question requesting information from the user; and
transmit the computer-generated question as an audio message to the user via the wireless communications link.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data center further comprises a live operator station for communicating with the user in response to a voice command.
13. A vehicle unit for use in a system supporting a hands-free vehicle owner's manual having a data center including a voice recognition system for interpreting received spoken messages, a database including information about features of a vehicle containing the vehicle unit, and a system for converting information retrieved from the database into computer-generated audio messages, the vehicle unit comprising:
a telematics unit for generating diagnostic messages concerning the associated vehicle; and
a communications unit for establishing a wireless link with the database for carrying diagnostic and voice messages for interpretation by the voice recognition system of the data center.
14. The vehicle unit of claim 13 , further comprising a microphone and speakers for establishing an audible dialog between a vehicle operator and the data center via the wireless data link.
15. The vehicle unit of claim 13 , wherein the telematic unit is further operable to control selected vehicle functions in response to voice commands.