Interactive vehicle control system
US6351698B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 27, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 26, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 27, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60W2556/50
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An interactive navigation system includes a navigation processing unit, a current position sensor, a speaker, a microphone and a display. When it is preliminary inferred, based on receipt of a detection signal from the sensor, that a vehicle has probably been diverted from a drive route determined by the navigation processing unit, a machine voice question is produced through the speaker for confirmation of the inferred probability of diversion. A driver or user in the vehicle answers the question, which is input through the microphone and analyzed to be affirmative or negative, from which a final decision is made as to the vehicle diversion. In a preferred embodiment the question is spoken by a personified agent who appears on the display. The agent's activities are controlled by an agent processing unit. Communication between the agent and the user improves reliability and accuracy of inference of any vehicle condition which could not be determined perfectly by a sensor only.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.