Configuration of an automotive user interface for activating transmission of signals containing commands for the movement of gates and/or doors on the basis of user voice commands

Abstract

 Described herein is an automotive user interface (2) configured for activating transmission of at least one movement-control signal (SC_j) containing information for control of passage-closing means (4) on the basis of a voice command (CVi) that can be issued by a user.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a configuration of an automotive user interface for activating transmission of signals containing commands for moving garage doors and/or gates set for closing entrances or passages, on the basis of user voice commands.

[0002] As is known, in the automotive field designing of functions accessible to the driver or to the passengers on board the motor vehicle is increasingly oriented towards solutions characterized by a high interactivity between the driver, the passengers, the motor vehicle, and the outside world.

[0003] In particular, there is an increasingly greater control that the driver and the passengers can perform over the functionality of the motor vehicle, such as, for example, control of the air-conditioning system, stereo system, etc., and over the interaction of the motor vehicle with the outside world, such as, for example, handling of the phone calls performed with the cellphone and of their superposition with listening to music, handling of the information coming from the on-board computer, interaction with the on-board satellite navigator, etc.

[0004] For this purpose, modern motor vehicles are provided with a human-machine interface (HMI), referred to hereinafter as "automotive user interface", whereby a user, whether the driver or a passenger, can interact with the on-board systems, such as, for example, enter a destination into the satellite navigator, an address or a phone number into a phone-book of an on-board handsfree system for handling phone calls from a cellphone, etc.

[0005] In addition to the advantage of being able to activate the functions offered by the aforesaid on-board electronic systems, in recent times users of motor vehicles have manifested the need to be able to access, through the aforesaid automotive user interface, also functions of electronic apparatuses located outside of the motor vehicle and that can be controlled remotely, such as, in particular, the electronic apparatuses for movement of gates and/or doors for entry into garages.

[0006] Currently, actuation of the aforesaid electronic movement apparatuses is performed through an electronic control system, which typically comprises a battery-supplied remote control, provided with a series of push-buttons that can be operated manually by the user for generating of the control signals, and a remotely controlled electronic device installed in the electronic movement apparatus for receiving the control signal and for actuating the gate and/or door according to the control signal transmitted by the remote control.

[0007] The electronic control system of the electronic movement apparatuses described above presents various technical problems. In the first place, the remote control, in addition to being subject to failure and requiring a periodic replacement of the batteries, is particularly inconvenient for the user, both from the standpoint of manual actuation of the commands and because it is normally associated to actuation of a single electronic movement apparatus.

[0008] Consequently, whenever it is necessary to control a series of electronic movement apparatuses, the user must necessarily have available a series of distinct remote controls, each of which is associated to a corresponding apparatus, the latter being an evidently inconvenient condition.

[0009] There is hence felt the need to provide an automotive user interface that will enable a user to access the functions of control of electronic apparatuses for movement of gates and/or garage doors in an extremely practical way, i.e., without the aid of any remote control.

[0010] Said need is met by the present invention in so far as it relates to an automotive user interface as defined in the annexed claims.

[0011] Said need is moreover met by the present invention in so far as it relates to a motor vehicle provided with an automotive user interface as defined in Claim 13.

[0012] For a better understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment is now described, purely by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

• Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of an automotive user interface provided according to the teachings of the present invention;
• Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of the operations implemented by the automotive user interface for enabling a user to personalize the voice commands for activating transmission of movement-control signals; whilst
• Figure 3 illustrates a flowchart of the operations implemented by the automotive user interface for enabling a user to personalize a voice-command profile for activating transmission of movement-control signals.

[0013] With reference to Figure 1, designated as a whole by the reference number 1 is a motor vehicle (of which only the passenger compartment is represented for simplicity of description), which is provided with an automotive user interface 2 structured for enabling a user, whether the driver or a passenger, to activate transmission of movement-control signals Sc_i containing information on control of a system for closing of a passage 4 or an entrance.

[0014] The passage-closing system 4 comprises: a mobile barrier 4a, for example, a garage door, or a gate, or any other type of mobile element installed in an opening or passage or entrance to enable entry or exit of the motor vehicle; and a remotely controlled electronic system 3 structured for moving the barrier 4a on the basis of a pre-set control signal Sc_i transmitted by a remote-control device 9.

[0015] In particular, in the example shown in Figure 1 the remotely controlled electronic system 3 comprises: a movement device 5, for example, an electromechanical actuator member structured for displacing the barrier 4a between a position of opening and a position of closing; a signal-transceiver system 6; and an electronic control unit 7, which is designed to receive, through the transceiver system 6, one or more pre-set control signals Sc_i and is designed to drive the movement device 5 according to the pre-set control signals Sc_i themselves.

[0016] In greater detail, in the example shown in Figure 1, the transceiver system 6 comprises a transceiver module 8, which is integrated, for example, in a remote-control device 9 corresponding to a remote control for transmitting the pre-set control signals Sc_i, and a transceiver module 10, which is designed to receive the pre-set control signals Sc_i and is connected to the electronic control unit 7 for supplying thereto the pre-set control signals Sc_i received. In the case in point, each pre-set control signal Sc_i can be, for example, a radiofrequency signal, which encodes in a known way data containing the command for movement to be imparted to the barrier 4a.

[0017] Unlike automotive interfaces of a known type, the automotive user interface 2 is structured for learning the characteristics of the pre-set control signal Sc_i used by the remotely controlled electronic system 3 and for enabling a user to activate, through a corresponding voice command CVi, transmission of a movement-control signal Sc_j configured according to the characteristics learned from the pre-set control signal Sc_i.

[0018] In particular, the automotive user interface 2 is structured for learning the data/information that characterize the pre-set control signal Sc_i generated by the remote control 9 so as to configure a movement-control signal Sc_j equivalent to the pre-set control signal Sc_i, and is able to activate transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j itself, when it receives a voice command CVi issued by the user.

[0019] The automotive user interface 2 is structured moreover for enabling the user to personalize the voice command CVi for activating transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j. In this way, in use, when the user issues the personalized voice command CVi set previously, the automotive user interface 2 activates transmission of the corresponding movement-control signal Sc_j to the transceiver module 10 of the remotely controlled electronic system 3.

[0020] For this purpose, the automotive user interface 2 can comprises: a voice-recognition system 11, able to receive and recognize a voice command CVi issued by the user; a storage device 12, which is designed to contain the commands for activating transmission of the movement-control signals Sc_j; a transceiver device 20, designed to receive the pre-set control signals Sc_i and to transmit the movement-control signals Sc_j; and an electronic control unit 13, which, in a step of personalization of the voice commands CVi that is described in detail hereinafter, is able to receive the personalized voice commands CVi issued by the user so as to associate them to corresponding movement-control signals SC_j.

[0021] In use, i.e., following upon completion of the step of personalization of the voice commands CVi, the electronic control unit 13 is able to receive a voice command CVi issued by the user, and activates transmission of a corresponding movement-control signal Sc_j.

[0022] The automotive user interface 2 can comprise, moreover, a selection device 14, which enables the user to issue a command for learning the pre-set control signal Sc_i generated by the remote control 9, and/or to confirm the assignment to the movement-control signal Sc_j of the voice command CVi just issued by the user, and/or to perform operations of erasure/replacement/modification of the voice command CVi with a new voice command CVi.

[0023] In the case in point, in the example shown in Figure 1, the selection device 10 comprises a display unit and a command unit. The display unit can be constituted, for example, by a display, whilst the command unit comprises preferably, but not necessarily, push-buttons that can be activated by the user for imparting the commands described above.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates the operations for configuration of the automotive user interface 2 in which there is envisaged a procedure of learning of the pre-set control signals Sc_i associated to the commands used by the remotely controlled electronic system 3 and generated by the remote control 9, and a step of personalization of the voice command CVi for activating transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j corresponding to the pre-set control signal Sc_i learned from the remote control 9 itself.

[0025] The learning procedure envisages that the user activates, through the remote control 9, the transmission of a pre-set control signal Sc_i (block 100) and that the automotive user interface 2 will learn the characteristics of the pre-set control signal Sc_i in such a way as to be subsequently able to generate and transmit, upon command, a movement-control signal Sc_j altogether equivalent to the pre-set control signal Sc_i learned from the remote control 9.

[0026] In this step, the electronic control unit 13 receives, through the transceiver module 20, the pre-set control signal Sc_i (output YES from block 110), and processes it (block 120) in such a way as to be able to determine all the characteristics associated to the communication protocol used and/or to the encoding and/or to the frequency of transmission of the signal learned (block 130) or other similar information regarding the command contained in the signal itself so as to be able to define a movement-control signal Sc_j having the same communication protocol and/or the same encoding of the commands and/or the same transmission frequency as the pre-set control signal Sc_i.

[0027] In other words, in this step, the automotive user interface 2 performs a function of self-learning of the pre-set control signal Sc_i transmitted by the remote control 9 in such a way as to be able to establish and then subsequently generate a movement-control signal Sc_j, which has the same characteristics as the pre-set control signal Sc_i itself, and is hence able to drive the remotely controlled electronic system 3 in a way altogether similar to the remote control 9.

[0028] In this step, the electronic control unit 13, following upon learning, stores all the information associated to the pre-set control signal Sc_j in the storage device 12.

[0029] Once the movement-control signal Sc_j equivalent to the pre-set control signal Sc_i produced by the remote control 9 and associated to a specific command for movement of the barrier 4a has been defined, and then stored, the method envisages implementation of the procedure of personalization of the voice command CVi for activation of the transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j itself.

[0030] In this step, the automotive user interface 2 sets itself in a wait state, which ends (output YES from block 150) when the user issues the personalized voice command CVi to be associated to the activation of the transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j (block 140).

[0031] At this point, the voice-recognition system 11 communicates the personalized voice command CVi to the electronic control unit 13, which, in turn, associates the voice command CVi to the command for activating transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j determined in the previous steps. In this step, hence, the electronic control unit 13 stores, preferably but not necessarily following upon a user confirmation (output YES from block 160), the new personalized voice command CVi in the storage device 12, associating it to the movement-control signal Sc_j established in the course of the learning procedure (block 170).

[0032] At this point, in the case where the personalization step has not been completed (output YES from block 180), the user can reiterate the procedure of learning of a new pre-set control signal Sc_i (blocks 100-130) and the personalization procedure (blocks 140-170) in such a way as to personalize a new voice command CV_i+1 for a further pre-set control signal SC_i+1.

[0033] In use, when the user issues the voice command CVi previously personalized for activation of the transmission of the corresponding movement-control signal Sc_j (block 190), the voice-recognition system 11 communicates the voice command CVi to the electronic control unit 13, which identifies, in the storage device 12, the command for activating transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j associated to the voice command CVi issued.

[0034] At this point, the electronic control unit 13 issues a command to the transceiver module 20 for transmission of the movement-control signal Sc_j. In this step, the transceiver module 10 receives the movement-control signal Sc_j and supplies it to the electronic control unit 7, which drives, through the movement device 5, displacement of the barrier 4a on the basis of the movement-control signal Sc_j received (block 195).

[0035] With reference to Figure 1, the automotive user interface 2 is moreover structured in such a way as to enable a series of users to set a series of personalized voice commands CVi which define respective personalized voice-command profiles PFi, each of which can be implemented by the automotive user interface 2 on the basis of detection of the presence/absence and/or of an identification of the user in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 1.

[0036] In the case in point, a voice-command profile PFi comprises: one or more voice commands CVi personalized by a user; one or more movement-control signals Sc_j that can be transmitted by the automotive user interface 2 and that can be activated by corresponding voice commands CVi; and an identifier code C_id uniquely associated to a personal portable communication device 15 of the user himself.

[0037] For this purpose, the automotive user interface 2 comprises a wireless-communication module 16, capable of setting up, within its own communication range, a wireless connection with personal portable communication devices 15, i.e., ones associated to a user present in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 1.

[0038] In particular, the wireless-communication module 16 is able to set up a radiofrequency wireless connection, according to the Bluetooth communication protocol, with a personal portable communication device 15, which can correspond, for example, to a cellphone (shown in Figure 1), and/or a palm-top, or any similar portable wireless communication apparatus.

[0039] The wireless-communication module 16 is structured for setting up an operation of pairing with the portable communication device 15.

[0040] During the pairing operation, the wireless-communication module 16, thanks to the known architecture of the Bluetooth communication protocol, receives from the portable communication device 15 a Bluetooth code that uniquely identifies the portable communication device 15 itself.

[0041] The electronic control unit 13 co-operates with the wireless-communication module 15 for receiving from the latter the Bluetooth code of the portable communication device 15 and is designed to process it so as to be able to determine a condition of presence and/or absence of the portable communication device 15 and/or carry out an identification of the portable communication device 15 itself.

[0042] The electronic control unit 13 can, moreover, be structured for enabling the user to set a voice-command profile PFi of his own, and for implementing automatically a voice-command profile PFi comprised in the set of the profiles PFi stored, on the basis of identification of the portable communication device 15, i.e., as a function of the indirect recognition of the user.

[0043] The flowchart illustrated in Figure 3 shows the different operating steps implemented by the electronic control unit 13 of the automotive user interface 2 for enabling the user to configure a personalized voice-command profile PFi.

[0044] In particular, the operation of configuration of a profile PFi (block 200) can envisage that, in addition to the operations of learning of the pre-set control signals Sc_i and of personalization of voice commands CVi implemented in blocks 100-140 described above and shown in Figure 2, there will be performed assignment to the profile itself of an identifier code C_id corresponding to the Bluetooth code of the portable communication device 15.

[0045] In particular, said assignment can be performed automatically through an operation of pairing between the portable communication device 15 of the user and the automotive user interface 2 (block 200).

[0046] In greater detail, during the pairing operation, the electronic control unit 13 receives the Bluetooth code from the wireless-communication module 16 and assigns it to the user identifier code C_id, which is in turn assigned to the personalized voice-command user profile PFi contained in the storage device 5 (block 210).

[0047] It should be pointed out that the automotive user interface 2 can be configured in such a way that, following upon completion of a voice-command profile PFi, the next operations of modification or erasure of the voice commands CVi present in the voice-command profile PFi itself can be performed on the basis of a prior identification of the user.

[0048] In particular, the automotive user interface 2 can be configured in such a way as to enable the user to modify his own personalized voice-command profile PFi only following upon detection and recognition/identification by the electronic control unit 13 of the user identifier code C_id associated to the portable device 15 of the user himself.

[0049] Preferably, but not necessarily, the storage device 5 can contain a pre-set voice-command profile PFs, which is activated by the electronic control unit 13 in the case where no user is detected and/or recognized/identified upon turning-on of the motor vehicle 1.

[0050] In the case in point, the pre-set voice-command profile PFs is a generic profile comprising a pre-set series of movement-control signals Sc_j designed to be transmitted by the automotive user interface 2 and comprising, for each movement-control signal Sc_j, a pre-set standard voice command CVs. The pre-set voice-command profile PFs can, for example, be set by a given user and be associated to the control of some pre-set specified barriers 4. In other words, the voice-command profile PFs could limit to the "non-identified" users the command for some pre-set passage-closing systems 4, and at the same time prevent said users from gaining access to other pre-set passage-closing systems 4, which, instead, are accessible to the identified users.

[0051] With reference to Figure 3, the automotive user interface 2, once the step of configuration of the personalized voice-command profile PFi has terminated, is able to implement the subsequent operations for implementing automatically a personalized voice-command profile PFi, whenever a driver inserts the key for turning on the engine and performs key-on.

[0052] In particular, when a driver performs key-on (output YES from block 220), the automotive user interface 2 carries out pairing with the portable communication device 15 carried by the driver present in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 1.

[0053] In particular, in this step, the wireless-communication module 16 sets up a Bluetooth communication with the portable communication device 15 and communicates to the electronic control unit 13 the corresponding identifier code C_id.

[0054] The electronic control unit 13 compares the identifier code C_id received with the identifier codes C_id of the personalized voice-command profiles PFi contained in the storage device 12 and, in the case where the identifier code C_id received corresponds to one of the identifier codes C_id stored (output YES from block 230), the electronic control unit 13 selects the personalized voice-command profile PFi associated to the identifier code C_id itself (block 250).

[0055] At this point, the automotive user interface 2 implements the personalized voice-command profile PFi identified in the previous block and sets itself for being able to recognize the voice commands CVi issued by the user identified so as to be able to activate transmission of the corresponding movement-control signals Sc_j (block 260).

[0056] In the case where the user is not provided with a portable communication device 15 that can be recognized by the automotive user interface 2 (output NO from block 230), and/or in the case where the Bluetooth communication for recognition has not been set up correctly and consequently the procedure of identification has not gone through, and/or in the case where the identifier code C_id read does not correspond to any identifier code C_id stored in the storage device 12, the electronic control unit 13 selects from the storage device 12 the pre-set voice-command profile PAs that is not associated to any identifier code C_id (block 240). In this case, the user issues pre-set standard voice commands to activate transmission of movement-control signals Sc_j for movement of the pre-set gate/gates 4.

[0057] From an examination of the characteristics of the present invention, the advantages that it enables are evident.

[0058] In the first place, the automotive user interface 2 is extremely convenient and versatile in so far as it enables the user on the one hand to eliminate the use of remote controls, and on the other to personalize as desired the voice commands for moving one or more gates or doors.

[0059] In addition, the automotive user interface 2, thanks to the procedure of identification of the user portable device, enables different users to access and hence use the voice commands of the respective profiles in a completely automatic way, without any manual operation of profile selection but simply through a recognition of the portable communication device.

[0060] Finally, thanks to the pre-set voice-command profile PAs it is possible to define beforehand a limitation to access of pre-set doors or gates to non-identified users, enabling, instead, at the same time, complete access thereto by the identified users.

[0061] Finally, it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to the automotive user interface described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the sphere of protection of the present invention, as defined in the annexed claims.

[0062] According to a possible variant, the automotive user interface 2 can be configured in such a way as to enable the user to assign the movement-control signals Sc_j to pre-set voice commands Cv_j. In this case, the personalization of the voice command CVi by the user is not required, but there is envisaged selection and assignment of a pre-set voice command CVi to the movement-control signal Sc_j.

Claims

1. An automotive user interface (2) characterized in that it is configured for activating transmission of at least one movement-control signal (Sc_j) containing information regarding the control of means for closing of a passage (4) on the basis of a voice command (CVi) that can be issued by a user.

2. The automotive user interface according to Claim 1, wherein said passage-closing means (4) comprise a mobile barrier (4a), and a remotely controlled electronic system (6) structured for moving said barrier (4a) on the basis of a pre-set control signal (Sc_i) transmitted by a remote-control device (9); said interface being configured for learning the characteristics of said pre-set control signal (Sc_i) so as to configure said movement-control signal (Sc_j) on the basis of the characteristics learned from said pre-set control signal (Sc_i).

3. The automotive user interface according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, configured for enabling the user to personalize said voice command (CVi) for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j).

4. The automotive user interface according to Claim 3, comprising voice-recognition means (11) configured for receiving personalized voice commands (CVi) issued by a user, and electronic control means (13) configured for assigning said personalized voice commands (CVi) to commands for activating transmission of corresponding movement-control signals (Sc_j).

5. The automotive user interface according to Claim 4, comprising storage means (12) containing said commands for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j), and wherein said electronic control means (13) are configured for storing in said storage means (12) said personalized voice commands (CVi) so as to associate them to respective commands for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j).

6. The automotive user interface according to Claim 5, wherein said electronic control means (13) are configured for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j) on the basis of the personalized control signals (CVi) issued by a user.

7. The automotive user interface according to any one of Claim 5 or Claim 6, comprising wireless-communication means (16) configured for detecting and/or identifying automatically personal portable wireless communication devices (15) in their own communication range; said storage means (12) comprising voice-command profiles (PFi) (PFs) for activation of the transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j); said electronic control means (13) being configured for implementing one said voice-command profile (PFi)(PFs) according to the detection and/or identification of said user.

8. The automotive user interface according to Claim 7, wherein said storage means (12) comprise a series of personalized voice-command profiles (PFi) comprising one or more voice commands (CVi) personalized by respective users; said electronic control means (13) being configured for implementing one said personalized voice-command profile (PFi) on the basis of identification of a corresponding user.

9. The automotive user interface according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein said storage means (12) comprise a pre-set voice-command profile (PFs) comprising one or more voice commands (CVi) associated to movement of said pre-set passage-closing means (4); said electronic control means (13) being configured for implementing said pre-set voice-command profile (PFs) in the absence of said user identification.

10. The automotive user interface according to Claim 9, wherein said wireless-communication means (11) are configured for setting up a Bluetooth communication with said portable communication device (15).

11. The automotive user interface according to Claim 10, wherein said portable communication device (15) is a cellphone.

12. The automotive user interface according to any one of Claims 7 to 11, configured for enabling the user to modify one or more voice commands contained in the corresponding voice-command profile (PFi) on the basis of said identification.

13. A motor vehicle comprising an automotive user interface (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.

Amended claims

Amended claims in accordance with Rule 137(2) EPC.

1. An automotive user interface (2) configured for activating transmission of at least one movement-control signal (Sc_j) containing information regarding the control of passage-closing means (4) on the basis of a voice command (CVi) that can be issued by a user; said passage-closing means (4) comprise a mobile barrier (4a), and a remotely controlled electronic system (6) structured for moving said barrier (4a) on the basis of a pre-set control signal (Sc_i) transmitted by a remote-control device (9); said interface being configured for learning the characteristics of said pre-set control signal (Sc_i) so as to configure said movement-control signal (Sc_j) on the basis of the characteristics learned from said pre-set control signal (Sc_i) ;
the automotive user interface being characterized in that it is configured for enabling the user to personalize said voice command (CVi) for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j) and comprising voice-recognition means (11) configured for receiving personalized voice commands (CVi) issued by a user, and electronic control means (13) configured for assigning said personalized voice commands (CVi) to commands for activating transmission of corresponding movement-control signals (Sc_j) .

2. The automotive user interface according to Claim 1, comprising storage means (12) containing said commands for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j), and wherein said electronic control means (13) are configured for storing in said storage means (12) said personalized voice commands (CVi) so as to associate them to respective commands for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j) .

3. The automotive user interface according to Claim 2, wherein said electronic control means (13) are configured for activating transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j) on the basis of the personalized control signals (CVi) issued by a user.

4. The automotive user interface according to any one of Claim 2 or Claim 3, comprising wireless-communication means (16) configured for detecting and/or identifying automatically personal portable wireless communication devices (15) in their own communication range; said storage means (12) comprising voice-command profiles (PFi) (PFs) for activation of the transmission of said movement-control signals (Sc_j); said electronic control means (13) being configured for implementing one said voice-command profile (PFi)(PFs) according to the detection and/or identification of said user.

5. The automotive user interface according to Claim 4, wherein said storage means (12) comprise a series of personalized voice-command profiles (PFi) comprising one or more voice commands (CVi) personalized by respective users; said electronic control means (13) being configured for implementing one said personalized voice-command profile (PFi) on the basis of identification of a corresponding user.

6. The automotive user interface according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein said storage means (12) comprise a pre-set voice-command profile (PFs) comprising one or more voice commands (CVi) associated to movement of said pre-set passage-closing means (4); said electronic control means (13) being configured for implementing said pre-set voice-command profile (PFs) in the absence of said user identification.

7. The automotive user interface according to Claim 6, wherein said wireless-communication means (11) are configured for setting up a Bluetooth communication with said portable communication device (15).

8. The automotive user interface according to Claim 7, wherein said portable communication device (15) is a cellphone.

9. The automotive user interface according to any one of Claims 4 to 8, configured for enabling the user to modify one or more voice commands contained in the corresponding voice-command profile (PFi) on the basis of said identification.

10. A motor vehicle comprising an automotive user interface (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.

Drawing