In-vehicle voice command control

Abstract

A vehicle includes an interface device, an in-vehicle control unit, a functional unit, and a processing circuitry. The interface device receives a spoken command to identify an in-cabin vehicle zone of two or more in-cabin vehicle zones of the vehicle, and receives background audio data concurrently with a portion of the spoken command. The in-cabin vehicle control unit separates the background audio data from the spoken command, and selects which in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones is identified by the spoken command. The functional unit controls a function within the vehicle. The processing circuitry stores, to a command buffer, data processed from the received spoken command, and controls, based on the data processed from the received spoken command, the functional unit using audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle comprising:
 an interface device configured to:
 receive a spoken command to identify an in-cabin vehicle zone of two or more in-cabin vehicle zones of the vehicle; and 
 receive background audio data concurrently with a portion of the spoken command; 
   an in-cabin vehicle control unit, coupled to the interface device, the in-cabin vehicle control unit being configured to:
 separate the background audio data from the spoken command; and 
 select which in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones is identified by the spoken command; 
   a functional unit, coupled to the in-cabin vehicle control unit, the functional unit being configured to control a function within the vehicle;   processing circuitry coupled to the interface device, to the in-cabin vehicle control unit, and to the functional unit, the processing circuitry being configured to:
 store, to a command buffer, data processed from the received spoken command; and 
 control, based on the data processed from the received spoken command, the functional unit using audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone; and 
   a memory device that implements the command buffer.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , the processing circuitry being further configured to cease controlling the functional unit using audio input received from a deactivated in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones prior to controlling the functional unit using the audio input received from selected in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones, based on the receipt of the spoken command at the interface device. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , the processing circuitry being further configured to:
 control the functional unit using the audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone prior to the receipt of the spoken command at the interface device; and   continue to control the functional unit using the audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone after receipt of the spoken command at the interface device.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a touchscreen integrated as part of the interface device, the touchscreen being configured to replace the interface device ability to receive a spoken command, and to receive a tactile input command to identify the in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a touchscreen integrated as part of the interface device, the touchscreen being configured to augment the interface device ability to receive a spoken command, and to receive a tactile input command to identify the in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit comprises a thermostat controller configured to control a temperature within the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit comprises a noise cancellation (NC) system configured to suppress sounds outside of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 7 , further comprising loudspeakers integrated as part of the NC system, the loudspeakers being configured to render amplified sounds within the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a separate microphone array coupled to the functional unit, the separate microphone array being configured to perform audio beamforming within the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein at least one microphone of the separate microphone array, is located in the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones, and wherein the at least one microphone is configured to capture the spoken command from one of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one microphone of the separate microphone array comprises an error microphone configured to capture noise data for an active noise cancellation (ANC) system of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one microphone of the separate microphone array comprises an error microphone configured to capture noise data for an active noise cancellation (ANC) system of the vehicle, the separate microphone array further comprising at least one zone microphone configured to capture one or more command inputs from a respective in-cabin zone of the two or more in-cabin zones that is associated with the zone microphone, the zone microphone being configured to capture directional information associated with the command inputs. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a steering wheel positioned within a respective in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones, wherein the interface device is positioned in the respective in-cabin vehicle zone in which the steering wheel is positioned. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 13 , wherein the in-cabin vehicle control unit is configured to select which in-cabin vehicle zone is identified by the spoken command originating in in-cabin vehicle zones of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones that are positioned behind the respective in-cabin vehicle zone in which the steering wheel is positioned. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , the processing circuitry being further configured to suppress audio input received from respective microphones of all in-cabin vehicle zones other than the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , the processing circuitry being further configured to amplify audio input received from a respective microphone of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , the processing circuitry being further configured to:
 identify respective voice information associated with audio input received from respective microphones of the in-cabin vehicle zones other than the selected in-cabin vehicle zone;   determine that any portion of the audio input that is received from a respective microphone of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone and is associated with the identified voice information received from the respective microphones of the in-cabin vehicle zones other than the selected in-cabin vehicle zone comprises noise with respect to the selected in-cabin vehicle zone;   apply, based on the determination, noise cancellation to the portion of the audio input that comprises the noise with respect to the selected in-cabin vehicle zone to obtain noise-cancelled audio input associated with the selected in-cabin vehicle zone; and   control the functional unit using the noise-cancelled audio input associated with the selected in-cabin vehicle zone.   
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the background audio data comprises audio data associated with a phone call that occurs outside of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate a response to the spoken command, the vehicle further comprising one or more parametric speakers configured to render the response as an auditory response. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at an interface device of a vehicle, a spoken command to identify an in-cabin vehicle zone of two or more in-cabin vehicle zones of the vehicle;   receiving, at the interface device, background audio data concurrently with a portion of the spoken command;   separating, by an in-cabin vehicle control unit coupled to the interface device, the background audio data from the spoken command;   selecting, by the in-cabin vehicle control unit, which in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones is identified by the spoken command;   storing, to a memory device, by processing circuitry coupled to the interface device, to the in-cabin vehicle control unit, and to a functional unit of the vehicle, data processed from the received spoken command;   controlling, by the processing circuitry, based on the data processed from the received spoken command, the functional unit using audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone; and   controlling, by the functional unit of the vehicle, a function within the vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising ceasing, by the processing circuitry, controlling the functional unit using audio input received from a deactivated in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones prior to controlling the functional unit using the audio input received from selected in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones, based on the receipt of the spoken command at the interface device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the processing circuitry, the functional unit using the audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone prior to the receipt of the spoken command at the interface device; and   continuing, by the processing circuitry, to control the functional unit using the audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone after receipt of the spoken command at the interface device.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 replacing, by a touchscreen integrated as part of the interface device, the interface device ability to receive a spoken command; and   receiving, by the touchscreen, a tactile input command to identify the in-cabin vehicle zone.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 augmenting, by a touchscreen integrated as part of the interface device, the interface device ability to receive a spoken command; and   receiving, by the touchscreen, a tactile input command to identify the in-cabin vehicle zone.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising performing beamforming, by a separate microphone array coupled to the functional unit, within the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising suppressing, by the processing circuitry, audio input received from respective microphones of all in-cabin vehicle zones other than the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising amplifying audio input received from a respective microphone of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processing circuitry, respective voice information associated with audio input received from respective microphones of the in-cabin vehicle zones other than the selected in-cabin vehicle zone;   determining, by the processing circuitry, that any portion of the audio input that is received from a respective microphone of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone and is associated with the identified voice information received from the respective microphones of the in-cabin vehicle zones other than the selected in-cabin vehicle zone comprises noise with respect to the selected in-cabin vehicle zone;   applying, by the processing circuitry, noise cancellation to the portion of the audio input that comprises the noise with respect to the selected in-cabin vehicle zone to obtain noise-cancelled audio input associated with the selected in-cabin vehicle zone based on the determination; and   controlling, by the processing circuitry, the functional unit using the noise-cancelled audio input associated with the selected in-cabin vehicle zone.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the background audio data comprises audio data associated with a phone call that occurs outside of the selected in-cabin vehicle zone, the method further comprising:
 generating, by the processing circuitry, a response to the spoken command; and   rendering, via one or more parametric speakers, the response as an auditory response.   
     
     
         29 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving, via an interface device, a spoken command to identify an in-cabin vehicle zone of two or more in-cabin vehicle zones of the vehicle;   means for receiving, via the interface device, background audio data concurrently with a portion of the spoken command;   means for separating the background audio data from the spoken command;   means for selecting which in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones is identified by the spoken command;   means for storing, to a memory device, data processed from the received spoken command; and   means for controlling, based on the data processed from the received spoken command, a functional unit using audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone.   
     
     
         30 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause processing circuitry of a vehicle to:
 receive, via an interface device of the vehicle, a spoken command to identify an in-cabin vehicle zone of two or more in-cabin vehicle zones of the vehicle;   receive, via the interface device, background audio data concurrently with a portion of the spoken command;   separate the background audio data from the spoken command;   select which in-cabin vehicle zone of the two or more in-cabin vehicle zones is identified by the spoken command;   store data processed from the received spoken command; and   control, based on the data processed from the received spoken command, the functional unit using audio input received from the selected in-cabin vehicle zone; and cause the functional unit of the vehicle to a function within the vehicle.