IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,861,457
Granted Patent B2
US 10,861,457 · App. 16/171,762 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Vehicle digital assistant authentication

Inventors: Nevrus Kaja (Taylor, MI); Glen Munro Green (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G10L15/22B60K35/00B60W40/08G06K9/00288G06K9/00838G10L17/00B60K2370/148B60W2040/0809G10L2015/223G10L2015/227
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,861,457
App. No.
16/171,762
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes a controller, programmed to responsive to detecting a voice command from a user and a location of the user inside the vehicle via a microphone, authenticate an identity of the user using facial recognition on an image captured, by a camera, of the location of the user; and responsive to a successful authentication, execute the voice command.

Claims (36)

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a controller, programmed to

responsive to detecting a voice command from a dependent user associated with a primary user and a location of the dependent user inside the vehicle via a microphone, analyze the voice command and authenticate an identity of the dependent user using facial recognition on an image captured, by a camera, of the location of the dependent user;

responsive to an analysis result indicating an execution of the voice command depends on a presence of the primary user and a successful authentication of the dependent user, authenticate an identity of a primary user inside the vehicle, and

responsive to a successful authentication of the primary user, execute the voice command.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to authenticate the identity of the dependent user using voice print analysis on the voice command received.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to detect the location of the dependent user using a signal from a seat sensor.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to authenticate the identity of the primary user via a mobile device wirelessly connected to the vehicle and having a user profile of the primary user.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to send the image of the dependent user to a server via a communication network through a telematics control unit (TCU) and receive authentication of the dependent user from the server in response.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to analyze the voice command to detect whether an authentication is required.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to

control one or more cameras to capture one or more images of a vehicle cabin; and

authenticate the identity of the primary vehicle user with facial recognition on the one or more images captured by the one or more cameras.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to authenticate the identity of the primary vehicle user by sending a user profile of the primary vehicle user to a server via a TCU.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to move the camera toward the location of the dependent user from who the voice command is made.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

a controller, programmed to

responsive to detecting a door opening or closing event, detect an occupancy of the vehicle via a camera, and authenticate an identity of a primary user and an identity of a dependent user associated with the primary user via facial recognition on an image captured via the camera,

responsive to receiving a voice command from a dependent user via a microphone, analyze the voice command to identify that an execution of the voice command depends on a presence of the primary user, and

responsive to a successful authentication of the primary user within the vehicle, execute the voice command.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to detect an occupancy of the vehicle via a seat sensor.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to authenticate the identity of the primary user via a mobile device with a user profile wirelessly connected to the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to authenticate the identity of the primary user by sending the user profile to a server via a TCU and receiving authentication from the server.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to identify, among the primary user and the dependent user, a source user who made the voice command via a location signal sent from the microphone provided with an omni-direction feature.

15. A method for a vehicle, comprising:

responsive to receiving an input indicative of an upcoming voice command, activating an omni-directional microphone and a camera;

receiving a voice command from a first user via the microphone;

detecting a direction from which the voice command is received via the microphone;

capturing an image inside a vehicle cabin via the camera;

authenticating an identity of the first user by facial recognition on the image based on the direction received from the microphone; and

responsive to detecting an execution of the voice command depends on a presence of a second user, authenticating an identity of the second user by facial recognition on the image; and

responsive to successful authentications of the first user and second user both present in the vehicle, executing the voice command.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

rotating the camera to focus on the direction received from the microphone.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

authenticating the identity of the user by voice print analysis on the voice command received.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2018
From: KAJA, NEVRUS; GREEN, GLEN MUNRO
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 047326/0615 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200135190A1 · Apr 30, 2020