Abstract: A method of speech synthesis including receiving a text input sent by a sender, processing the text input responsive to at least one distinguishing characteristic of the sender to produce synthesized speech that is representative of a voice of the sender, and communicating the synthesized speech to a recipient user of the system.

Abstract: A method of and system for speech synthesis. First and second text inputs are received in a text-to-speech system, and processed into respective first and second speech outputs corresponding to stored speech respectively from first and second speakers using a processor of the system. The second speech output of the second speaker is adapted to sound like the first speech output of the first speaker.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes: detecting changes in ambient noise via a microphone in a vehicle equipped with the ASR system; determining an environmental noise compensation value and a channel bias compensation value based on the detected changes; and applying the environmental noise compensation value and a channel bias compensation value to speech received by the ASR system.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes: receiving speech at the ASR system from a vehicle occupant that includes a command to control a vehicle function; identifying a gate command from the speech; associating the identified gate command with the command to control the vehicle function; storing the associated gate command and vehicle command in a database; receiving additional speech at the ASR system from the vehicle occupant; detecting the gate command in the additional speech; and accessing the stored gate command and vehicle command from the database.

Abstract: Automobiles, automobile diagnostic systems, and methods for generating diagnostic data for automobiles are provided. A method for generating diagnostic data for an automobile includes capturing with a sound sensor an acoustic waveform produced by an automobile component. The method converts the acoustic waveform into an electrical waveform data signal. The method includes identifying a pattern in the electrical waveform data signal. Further, the method classifies the pattern as indicative of a selected performance issue.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes: determining the location of a vehicle; identifying terrestrial radio stations in a database that are within a range of the vehicle location based on geographic locations of the terrestrial radio stations stored in the database; and altering the content of a speech grammar used by the ASR system to process speech received in the vehicle that requests a terrestrial radio station.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes: receiving speech at the ASR system from a vehicle occupant that includes a command to control a vehicle function; identifying a gate command from the speech; associating the identified gate command with the command to control the vehicle function; storing the associated gate command and vehicle command in a database; receiving additional speech at the ASR system from the vehicle occupant; detecting the gate command in the additional speech; and accessing the stored gate command and vehicle command from the database.

Abstract: A system and method of regulating automatic speech recognition (ASR) playback of audible prompts includes: generating an audible prompt via a speaker; detecting ambient sound during the audible prompt via a microphone; obtaining a speech recognition confidence value for speech recognition performed on the ambient sound; and reducing a volume level of the audible prompt based on the speech recognition confidence value while continuing to generate the audible prompt.

Abstract: A system and method of verifying a biometric variable of a handheld wireless device user includes: receiving at a wireless device a biometric variable measured using a handheld wireless device; detecting the biometric variable at the wireless device in response to receiving the biometric variable measured using the handheld wireless device; performing feature recognition at the wireless device on the detected biometric variable; comparing the feature recognition performed at the wireless device with the biometric variable measured using the handheld wireless device; permitting access to one or more features available at the wireless device or the handheld wireless device when the comparison is within a predetermined range of values; and denying access to the wireless device or the handheld device when the comparison is outside of the predetermined range of values.

Abstract: A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a rear seating area is described. A method for monitoring the rear seating area of the passenger compartment includes monitoring a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state and monitoring the rear seating area. A presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area is detected based upon the monitoring, and a control routine is executed based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area.

Abstract: A system and method of adjusting digital audio sampling used with wideband audio includes: performing audio sampling on an analog audio signal at an initial sampling rate and an initial bit rate over a wideband audio frequency range; generating a digital audio signal based on the audio sampling; detecting a qualitative error rate between the analog audio signal and the digital audio signal; and decreasing the initial sampling rate, the initial bit rate, or both for sampling subsequent analog audio when the qualitative error is below a threshold.

Abstract: A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a rear seating area is described. A method for monitoring the rear seating area of the passenger compartment includes monitoring a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state and monitoring the rear seating area. A presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area is detected based upon the monitoring, and a control routine is executed based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area.

Abstract: A method for classifying a road surface being traversed by a vehicle. The method comprises receiving one or more electrical signals each representative of a vibration detected by a sensor carried by the vehicle. The method further comprises identifying, for at least one of the received electrical signals, a pattern in the detected vibration represented by that/those signal(s), and matching the identified pattern to one of one or more known patterns, wherein each known pattern corresponds to a respective road surface classification. The method further comprises classifying the road surface in accordance with the road surface classification corresponding to the known pattern matching the identified pattern. A system comprising one or more sensors carried by the vehicle that is/are configured to detect a vibration, and a pattern classification system for performing the methodology described above, is also provided.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition engine and a method of using the engine is described. The method pertains to front-end processing an audio signal and includes the steps of: identifying a plurality of voiced-frames of the audio signal; determining that one or more of the plurality of voiced-frames have a signal-to-noise (SNR) value greater than a first predetermined threshold; and based on the determination, bypassing noise suppression for the one or more of the plurality of voiced-frames.

Abstract: A system and method of providing speech received in a vehicle to an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes: receiving speech at the vehicle from a vehicle occupant; providing the received speech to a remotely-located ASR system and a vehicle-based ASR system; and thereafter determining a confidence level for the speech processed by the vehicle-based ASR system; presenting in the vehicle results from the vehicle-based ASR system when the determined confidence level is above a predetermined confidence threshold is not above; presenting in the vehicle results from the remotely-located ASR system when the determined confidence level is not above a predetermined confidence threshold.

Abstract: A method for processing a plurality of audio streams at a computer system onboard a vehicle is provided. The method receives the plurality of audio streams from a plurality of locations within a vehicle; prioritizes each of the plurality of audio streams to obtain a prioritization result; and completes a task associated with each of the plurality of audio streams, according to the prioritization result.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that provides text-to-speech (TTS) functionality to a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle. The method includes: receiving text content to be played back by an audio system of the telematics-equipped vehicle; determining, by a processor, a TTS rendering process to be used for the text content from a plurality of TTS rendering processes, wherein the plurality of TTS rendering processes include local TTS rendering using a local TTS engine at the telematics-equipped vehicle and remote TTS rendering using a remote TTS engine at a communications center; and causing, by the processor, the text content to be rendered as an audio signal for playback by the telematics-equipped vehicle using the determined TTS rendering process.

Abstract: At least first and second microphones with different frequency responses form part of a speech recognition system. The microphones are coupled to a processor that is configured to recognize a spoken word based on the microphone signals. The processor classifies the spoken word, and weights the signals from the microphones based on the classification of the spoken word.

Abstract: A system and method of activating at least some of a plurality of microphones in a vehicle includes: identifying an acoustic zone within the vehicle where a vehicle occupant is located; detecting one or more biometric attributes of the vehicle occupant; determining a location within the acoustic zone where the vehicle occupant utters speech based on the detected biometric attributes; and activating a subset of the plurality of microphones in the vehicle to receive speech within the acoustic zone based on the determined location.

Abstract: A dialing mode of a telematics unit in a vehicle is controlled by monitoring for dialing digits from a vehicle occupant, determining whether the type of dialing digits are continuous dialing digits or discrete dialing digits, establishing a continuous mode for receiving continuous dialing digits or a discrete mode for receiving discrete dialing digits based on the determination, and if the type of dialing digits changes, switching the established mode.