Abstract: A vehicle control system executing a voice control system for facilitating voice-based dialog with a driver to enable the driver or autonomous vehicle to control certain operational aspects of an autonomous vehicle is provided. Using environmental and sensor input, the vehicle control system can select optimal routes for operating the vehicle in an autonomous mode or choose a preferred operational mode. Occupants of the autonomous vehicle can change a destination, route or driving mode by engaging with the vehicle control system in a dialog enabled by the voice control system.

Abstract: A vehicle control system executing a voice control system for facilitating voice-based dialog with a driver to enable the driver or autonomous vehicle to control certain operational aspects of an autonomous vehicle is provided. Using environmental and sensor input, the vehicle control system can select optimal routes for operating the vehicle in an autonomous mode or choose a preferred operational mode. Occupants of the autonomous vehicle can change a destination, route or driving mode by engaging with the vehicle control system in a dialog enabled by the voice control system.

Abstract: A method for managing location-aware reminders in an automobile includes monitoring a geographic location of the automobile using a computer system installed in the vehicle. The computer system detects that the automobile has entered a geographic region associated with a location-aware reminder and issues a reminder message associated with the location-aware reminder to a driver of the automobile based on the detecting.

Abstract: A shared mobility vehicle hosts a moving “info kiosk” that provides information assistance to potential passengers (or other individuals) and to on-board passenger. The approach is applicable to human-operated vehicles, and a particularly applicable to autonomous vehicles where no human operator is available to provide assistance.

Abstract: A haptic-communication system includes a fabric, a frame that supports the fabric, and a haptic element that is integral with a textile that forms the fabric. A transition of the haptic element between first and second states thereof provides communication with a person in contact with the haptic element.

Abstract: While current voice assistants can respond to voice requests, creating smarter assistants that leverage location, past requests, and user data to enhance responses to future requests and to provide robust data about locations is desirable. A method for enhancing a geolocation database (“database”) associates a user-initiated triggering event with a location in a database by sensing user position and orientation within the vehicle and a position and orientation of the vehicle. The triggering event is detected by sensors arranged within a vehicle with respect to the user. The method determines a point of interest (“POI”) near the location based on the user-initiated triggering event. The method, responsive to the user-initiated triggering event, updates the database based on information related to the user-initiated triggering event at an entry of the database associated with the POI. The database and voice assistants can leverage the enhanced data about the POI for future requests.

Abstract: Touring circuitry for managing an immersion tour as a vehicle traverses a path through a touring theatre receives location information and provides control signals to an augmented-reality system based on a location of the vehicle in the touring theater. The control signals cause the augmented-reality system to stimulate at least two sensory inputs of a passenger.

Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of a person in an automobile includes a computing device and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor integrated into the automobile and configured to generate sensor data representing movement of the person in the automobile, the MEMS sensor being in operative communication with the computing device. The computing device is configured to process the sensor data from the MEMS sensor to detect the presence of a person in the automobile when the automobile is parked.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an infotainment system including a proactive automotive assistant that executes a first action and a second action, wherein the first action is that of permitting spontaneous communication to an occupant in a vehicle and the second action is that of providing information indicating that spontaneous communication with the occupant is impermissible. The automotive assistant is configured to receive information selected from the group consisting of vehicle-status information concerning operation of the vehicle and occupant-status information concerning the occupant and to base the first and second actions at least in part on the information.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a voice assistant, data representing a number of requests spoken by a number of speakers, processing the data representing the number of requests to identify a number of commands associated with the number of requests, processing the number of commands to determine a number of responses corresponding to the number of requests, ordering the number of responses according to a sequencing objective, and providing the ordered number of responses for presentation to the number of speakers.

Abstract: An automotive processing unit includes an infotainment system having a speech interface, an application suite comprising one or more spatially-cognizant applications, and an automotive assistant that is configured to execute one or more of the spatially-cognizant applications. The speech interface is configured to receive a navigation announcement from a navigator and a touring announcement from one of the spatially-cognizant applications and, in response, to cause a spoken announcement to be made audible in a vehicle's cabin through a loudspeaker. The spoken announcement comprising content from at least one of the touring announcement and the navigation announcement.

Abstract: A haptic-communication system includes a fabric, a frame that supports the fabric, and a haptic element that is integral with a textile that forms the fabric. A transition of the haptic element between first and second states thereof provides communication with a person in contact with the haptic element.

Abstract: While current voice assistants can respond to voice requests, creating smarter assistants that leverage location, past requests, and user data to enhance responses to future requests and to provide robust data about locations is desirable. A method for enhancing a geolocation database (“database”) associates a user-initiated triggering event with a location in a database by sensing user position and orientation within the vehicle and a position and orientation of the vehicle. The triggering event is detected by sensors arranged within a vehicle with respect to the user. The method determines a point of interest (“POI”) near the location based on the user-initiated triggering event. The method, responsive to the user-initiated triggering event, updates the database based on information related to the user-initiated triggering event at an entry of the database associated with the POI. The database and voice assistants can leverage the enhanced data about the POI for future requests.

Abstract: A biometric corroborator receives an enhanced sound file, a vehicular data provided by a vehicle, and telemetry data provided by the vehicle to a telematics server. It then uses these to corroborate each other before deciding whether to authenticate a proposed transaction.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a verbal command, from a user, on a vehicle infotainment system, wherein the vehicle infotainment system is configured to interface with an external system. A preferred system is identified for executing the verbal command. The verbal command is routed to the preferred system, wherein the preferred system is selected from the vehicle infotainment system and the external system.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for monitoring an interior environment of a motor vehicle; determining a personal state of an occupant within the interior environment of the motor vehicle; and interacting with the occupant based, at least in part, upon the personal state of the occupant.

Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to a multimodal user interface for use in an automobile. The multimodal user interface may display information on a windshield of the automobile, such as by projecting information on the windshield, and may accept input from a user via multiple modalities, which may include a speech interface as well as other interfaces. The other interfaces may include interfaces allowing a user to provide geometric input by indicating an angle. In some embodiments, a user may define a task to be performed using multiple different input modalities. For example, the user may provide via the speech interface speech input describing a task that the user is requesting be performed, and may provide via one or more other interfaces geometric parameters regarding the task. The multimodal user interface may determine the task and the geometric parameters from the inputs.

Abstract: While current voice assistants can respond to voice requests, creating smarter assistants that leverage location, past requests, and user data to enhance responses to future requests and to provide robust data about locations is desirable. A method for enhancing a geolocation database (“database”) associates a user-initiated triggering event with a location in a database by sensing user position and orientation within the vehicle and a position and orientation of the vehicle. The triggering event is detected by sensors arranged within a vehicle with respect to the user. The method determines a point of interest (“POI”) near the location based on the user-initiated triggering event. The method, responsive to the user-initiated triggering event, updates the database based on information related to the user-initiated triggering event at an entry of the database associated with the POI. The database and voice assistants can leverage the enhanced data about the POI for future requests.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods aware of ongoing conversations and configured to intelligently schedule a speech prompt to an intended addressee. A method for intelligently scheduling a speech prompt in a speech dialog system includes monitoring an acoustic environment to detect an intended addressee's availability for a speech prompt having a measure of urgency corresponding therewith. Based on the intended addressee's availability, the method predicts a time that is convenient to present the speech prompt to the intended addressee, and schedules the speech prompt based on the predicted time and the measure of urgency. A measure of rudeness can be estimated using a cost function that includes cost for presence of an utterance, cost for presence of a conversation, and cost for involvement of the intended addressee in the conversation. Scheduling the speech prompt can include trading off the measure of urgency and the measure of rudeness.

Abstract: A system, method and computer-readable storage device are disclosed for managing a mute and unmute feature on a device which is used to communicate data in a communication conference. The method includes detecting, when the device is set to mute, whether the user is speaking and whether the speech is meant for the conference. Background noises are distinguished from the speech of the user. If the user is speaking and the device is set to mute, the device will automatically switch to and unmute setting such that people in the indication conference can hear the user speak. Facial recognition, and gaze detection or other data can also be used to determine when to automatically mute or unmute the device and can aid in inferring an intent of the user to speak to the conference participants.