IP Library Granted Patent US 8,423,362
Granted Patent B2
US 8,423,362 · App. 11/963,103 · Granted Apr 16, 2013

In-vehicle circumstantial speech recognition

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,423,362
App. No.
11/963,103
Granted
Apr 16, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of circumstantial speech recognition in a vehicle. A plurality of parameters associated with a plurality of vehicle functions are monitored as an indication of current vehicle circumstances. At least one vehicle function is identified as a candidate for user-intended ASR control based on user interaction with the vehicle. The identified vehicle function is then used to disambiguate between potential commands contained in speech received from the user.

Claims (35)

1. A method of circumstantial speech recognition in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting user interaction with a particular one of a plurality of different vehicle devices located in the vehicle;

identifying the particular vehicle device as a candidate for user-intended automatic speech recognition (ASR) control based on receiving speech from the user within an elapsed time following the detection of the user interaction; and then

carrying out speech recognition on the received speech using an automatic speech recognition system that is configured based on the identified vehicle device.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of carrying out speech recognition further comprises the steps of:

receiving user speech;

pre-processing the user speech; and

decoding the pre-processed speech into recognized speech data; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of controlling the identified vehicle device using the recognized speech data.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 , wherein the pre-processed speech is decoded by applying at least one speech recognition model associated with the identified vehicle device.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameters includes a parameter that indicates occurrence of a user initiated event.

5. The method set forth in claim 4 , wherein the user interaction includes connection of an external device to a vehicle device.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the automatic speech recognition system is located in the vehicle.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the speech recognition is carried out using at least one reference pattern associated with the identified vehicle device.

8. A method of circumstantial speech recognition in a vehicle based on user interactivity with the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving speech from a user in a vehicle via a microphone

pre-processing the received speech;

decoding the pre-processed speech into recognized speech data using an automatic speech recognition system;

monitoring a plurality of different vehicle devices for interaction by the user using at least one processor located in the vehicle; and then

identifying a vehicle device for user-intended automatic speech recognition (ASR) control if the user has interacted with the identified vehicle device within a predetermined elapsed time; and then

controlling the identified vehicle device using the recognized speech data.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 , wherein the pre-processed speech is decoded by applying at least one speech recognition model associated with the identified vehicle device.

10. The method set forth in claim 8 , wherein identifying step further comprises detecting connection of an external device to the identified vehicle device.

11. The method set forth in claim 8 , wherein the automatic speech recognition system is located in the vehicle.

12. The method set forth in claim 8 , wherein the identifying step further comprises the step of identifying a vehicle device for user-intended ASR control if the user has interacted with the identified vehicle device within a predetermined time of receiving the speech.

13. A method of circumstantial speech recognition in a vehicle based on user interactivity with the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of different vehicle devices for interaction by a user using at least one processor located in the vehicle; and then

identifying a vehicle device for user-intended automatic speech recognition (ASR) control based on user interaction with the vehicle device; and then

receiving speech from the user via a microphone located in the vehicle, the received speech being received within an elapsed time following the user interaction; and

disambiguating between two or more possible commands contained in the speech based at least in part on the user interaction with the identified vehicle device.

14. The method set forth in claim 13 , wherein the disambiguating step further comprises recognizing the speech using a speech recognition model selected based at least in part on the user interaction with the identified vehicle device.

15. The method set forth in claim 13 , wherein the disambiguating step further comprises recognizing the speech using an ASR system and thereafter determining which of two or more potential commands is intended by the user based at least in part on the user interaction with the identified vehicle device.

16. The method set forth in claim 13 , further comprising the step of controlling the identified vehicle device using the recognized speech data.

17. The method set forth in claim 13 , further comprising the step of pre-processing the received speech before the disambiguating step.

18. The method set forth in claim 13 , wherein the monitoring step further comprises monitoring for connection of an external device to one of the vehicle devices.

Assignments (17)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Reel/Frame 034183/0436 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0035 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.; GENERAL MOTORS LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025329/0382 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.; GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Reel/Frame 025318/0031 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.; GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Reel/Frame 025318/0013 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025245/0780 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 12, 2009
From: GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
To: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Reel/Frame 023504/0691 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: MOTORS LIQUIDATION COMPANY
To: GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
Reel/Frame 023148/0248 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.; GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
To: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
Reel/Frame 023153/0509 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.; GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 023153/0456 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2009
From: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES; CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES
To: MOTORS LIQUIDATION COMPANY (F/K/A GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION)
Reel/Frame 023119/0817 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 21, 2009
From: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
To: MOTORS LIQUIDATION COMPANY
Reel/Frame 023129/0236 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2009
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: MOTORS LIQUIDATION COMPANY (F/K/A GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION)
Reel/Frame 023119/0491 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2009
From: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
To: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES; CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 022552/0006 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 3, 2009
From: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 022191/0254 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NAME OF ASSIGNEE GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS TO GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 020843 FRAME 0572. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Recorded Jan 5, 2009
From: CHENGALVARAYAN, RATHINAVELU; GROST, TIMOTHY J.; ABESKA, EDWARD J.
To: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION; GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 022055/0248 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2008
From: CHENGALVARAYAN, RATHINAVELU; GROST, TIMOTHY J.; ABESKA, EDWARD J.
To: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020843/0572 →