Granted Patent B2

US 8,376,747 · App. 11/411,339 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. An assisted learning system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle systems that each include one or more input devices;

memory that stores usage instructions for each of the input devices;

an assisted learning (AL) input device;

an audio output device; and

a control module that:

(i) in response to user actuation of the AL input device, mutes other audio input devices;

(ii) in response to user actuation of one of the input devices within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device:

(a) retrieves the usage instructions for the one of the input devices; and

(b) deactivates functionality of the one of the input devices;

(iii) outputs the usage instructions for the one of the input devices to the audio output device; and

(iv) in response to a second user actuation of the AL input device within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device, ends the output of the usage instructions for the one of the input devices.

2. The assisted learning system of claim 1 wherein the audio output device is a speaker and the usage instructions include audio files that are output by the speaker.

3. The assisted learning system of claim 1 , wherein the usage instructions are stored in the memory as compressed digital audio files, and the assisted learning system further comprises an audio decoder that converts the compressed digital audio files into decompressed digital audio signals.

4. The assisted learning system of claim 3 further comprising a digital audio playback (DAP) module that receives the decompressed digital audio signals from the audio decoder and that converts the decompressed digital audio signals to analog audio signals.

5. The assisted learning system of claim 1 wherein, in response to the user actuation of the AL input device, the control module further outputs an assisted learning prompt to the audio output device.

6. The assisted learning system of claim 1 wherein, in response to user activation of a remote service assistance system, the control module ends the usage instructions.

7. A method of operating an assisted learning system for a vehicle the method comprising:

storing usage instructions for each input device of the vehicle, the vehicle including an assisted learning (AL) input device and including a plurality of vehicle systems each having one or more input devices;

in response to user actuation of the AL input device, muting other audio input devices;

in response to user actuation of one of the input devices within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device:

(a) retrieving the usage instructions for the one of the input devices; and

(b) deactivating functionality of the one of the input devices;

outputting the usage instructions for the one of the input devices to an audio output device; and

in response to a second user actuation of the AL input device within a predetermined period after the user actuation of the AL input device, ending the output of the usage instructions for the one of the input devices.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

storing the usage instructions in memory as compressed digital audio files; and

converting the compressed digital audio files into decompressed digital audio signals.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving the decompressed digital audio signals;

converting the decompressed digital audio signals to analog audio signals; and

outputting the analog audio signals to the audio output device.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising, in response to the user actuation of the AL input device, outputting an assisted learning prompt to the audio output device.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising, in response to user activation of a remote service assistance system, ending the usage instructions.

Assignments (12)