WO2016149915A1

WO2016149915A1 - System, apparatus, method and computer program product for providing information via vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2016149915A1
Application number: PCT/CN2015/075011
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sebastian Granzow; Biyun ZHOU; Hae Young Yun; Wanli Jiang; Sheng Lai
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2015-03-25
Filing date: 2015-03-25
Publication date: 2016-09-29
Also published as: CN107107846A; CN107107846B; DE112015006350T5

Abstract

A system, an apparatus, a method and a computer program product for providing information via a vehicle. The system for providing information via a vehicle, comprising: a voice interface configured to input voice information from a user outside of the vehicle; a processor configured to receive the voice information from the voice interface, perform voice recognition on the received voice information, and obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition; and an output device configured to output the result information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface. For example, the resultant information can be displayed to the user outside of the vehicle by a display, the resultant information can be also spoken out to the user outside of the vehicle by a speaker.

Description

SYSTEM, APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION VIA VEHICLE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to the field of providing information via a vehicle, and in more particular, to a system, an apparatus, a method and a computer program product for providing information via a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, a voice recognition and speech control system is increasingly popular. The voice recognition and speech control system can understand spoken commands of a user to control different functions. Furthermore, the voice recognition and speech control system can also be utilized in a vehicle so as to control different vehicle equipments such as radio, CD, navigator and so on with spoken commands. Moreover, the voice recognition and speech control system can understand synonyms of the spoken commands. For example, the voice recognition and speech control system can understand the spoken command "zoom in" as well as the spoken command "Enlarge" . In addition, the voice recognition and speech control system can allow the user to individually adapt the voice recognition to the specific sound and/or intonation of the user.

Nowadays, more and more people use a portable terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet to obtain and browse the information. Furthermore, in order to easily customize the appearance of a vehicle, it has been proposed to arrange a display on the exterior of the vehicle so as to display various graphical data such as customizable "skins" . The user can use the portable terminal to download the customizable "skins" and then transfer the obtained customizable "skins" to the display arranged on the exterior of the vehicle so as to change the appearance of the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, in the prior art, the voice recognition and speech control system is typically installed within the vehicle, and thus the user can use the voice recognition and speech control system only when the user enters into and locates within the vehicle. As a result, when the user locates outside of the vehicle, he/she may be not able to use the voice recognition and speech control system within the vehicle.

Furthermore, in the prior art, the display arranged on the exterior of the vehicle is only used to display customizable "skins" so as to change the appearance of the vehicle. However, it cannot interact with the user and thus cannot provide useful information to the user.

Moreover, although the user can obtain and browse the information via the portable terminal, the portable terminal in general has a much smaller display, and thus the user may have a worse overview over the information which is presented.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide as system, an apparatus, a method and a computer program product for providing information via a vehicle that can address one or more of the above and other prior art problems.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing information via a vehicle, comprising: a voice interface configured to input voice information from a user outside of the vehicle； a processor configured to receive the voice information from the voice interface, perform voice recognition on the received voice information, and obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and an output device configured to output the result information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.

In an example of the present embodiment, the output device comprises at least one of a display and a speaker.

In an example of the present embodiment, the display is configured to face to the outside of the vehicle.

In an example of the present embodiment, the display is a transparent display.

In another example of the present embodiment, the voice interface comprises at least one microphone.

In another example of the present embodiment, the processor is further configured to be woken up by the voice information.

In another example of the present embodiment, the input voice information includes a user inquiry and the resultant information includes all the relevant information to the user inquiry.

In another example of the present embodiment, the user inquiry comprises an inquiry about a place of interest and the relevant information includes at least one of map information, route information and menu items relating to the place of interest.

In another example of the present embodiment, the processor is further configured to recommend to the user whether to walk or take cars to the place of interest based on a distance between the user's current position and the place of interest.

In another example of the present embodiment, the processor is further configured to make the vehicle's headlights twinkle as a response to the user.

In another example of the present embodiment, the processor is further configured to download the resultant information to a portable terminal of the user.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising the system according to any one of preceding claims.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing information via a vehicle, comprising: receiving, by a processor, voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle； performing, by the processor, voice recognition on the received voice information； obtaining, by the processor, resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and outputting, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus of providing information via a vehicle, comprising: receiving unit for receiving, by a processor, voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle； performing unit for performing, by the processor, voice recognition on the received voice information； obtaining unit for obtaining, by the processor, resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and outputting unit for outputting, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the display and the voice interface.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product for providing information via a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the program instructions are readable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising: receiving voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle； performing voice recognition on the received voice information； obtaining resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and outputting, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for providing information via a vehicle, comprising: a memory storing program instructions； and a processor configured to execute the programs instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform: receive voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle； perform voice recognition on the received voice information； obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and output, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.

The present invention can interact with the user outside of the vehicle and provide information to the user outside of the vehicle, and thus can bring the user with more convenience.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention；

Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the system for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention；

Fig. 3 illustrates a flow chart showing a method of providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention；

Fig. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention； and

Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a computing device which can perform the method of providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the described exemplary embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments can be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other exemplary embodiments, well known structures or process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the present invention.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of a system for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, a user 1002 stands outside of a vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 comprises a system for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The user 1002 can wake up the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 with the voice information such as "Hello！ " . Upon receiving and recognizing the voice information from the user 1002, the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 can enter into operation state and greet the user 1001 with response information such as "What can I do for you？ " . Then, the user 1002 can interact with the system integrated in the vehicle 1000. For example, the user 1002 can input inquiries to the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 with voice information, and the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 can obtain and provide the resultant information to the user in response to the input voice information.

Furthermore, in addition to the interaction between the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 and the user 1002 via the voice, the user 1002 may also interact with the system integrated in the vehicle 1002 via other interaction manners such as touch, gesture and so on. That is to say, the user 1002 may interact with the system integrated in the vehicle 1002 not only via the voice but also via the other interaction manners such as touch, gesture and so no. In this way, the various interaction manners will bring more convenience to the user 1002.

Moreover, in addition to the provision of the resultant information from the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 to the user 1002 via a display, the system integrated in the vehicle 1002 may also provide the resultant information to the user 1002 via other provision manners such as voice output (e.g. a speaker) and so on. That is to say, the system integrated in the vehicle 1002 may provide the resultant information to the user 1002 not only via the display but also via the other provision manners such as voice output (e.g. a speaker) and so no. In this way, the various provision manners of the resultant information will bring more convenience to the user 1002.

Herein, the vehicle 1000 can be a rental vehicle. For example, the vehicle 1000 can be a rental vehicle with "DRIVENOW" service. Alternatively, the vehicle 1000 can be also a private vehicle. In this case, the owner of the private vehicle can be rewarded if he/she allows the other users to interact with the private vehicle and obtain the information via the private vehicle.

In this embodiment, as the user 1002 stands outside of the vehicle 1000, the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 can interact with the user outside of the vehicle and provide information to the user outside of the vehicle, and thus can bring the user with more convenience.

In the following, the configuration of the system for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in details with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the system for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 2, the system 2000 for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can comprises a voice interface 2002, an output device 2004 and a processor 2006. The processor 2006 can be connected to both the voice interface 2002 and the output device 2004.

The voice interface 2002 in the system 2000 can be configured to input voice information from a user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000.

In an example, the voice interface 2002 in the system 2000 can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000. For example, the voice interface 2002 can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 at a position where the user 1002 can easily approach to. For example, the voice interface 2002 can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 around door windows of the vehicle 1000. In another example, if the vehicle 1000 is a hatchback vehicle, the voice interface 2002 can also be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 around the rear windshield.

In another example, the voice interface 2002 in the system 2000 can be arranged in the exterior of the vehicle 1000. For example, the voice interface 2002 in the system 2000 may be arranged within a roof antenna of the vehicle 1000 or within an air inlet/outlet part of the vehicle 1000.

In an example of the present embodiment, the voice interface may comprise at least one microphone. The voice interface is not limited to the microphone, and can be any other device which can pick up the sound. Note that only one microphone can implement the function of the present invention. However, the number of microphone is not limited to one microphone.

In a preferable embodiment of the present invention, the voice interface may comprise two or more microphones arranged in an array so as to reduce the environment noise. The vehicle 1000 is generally parked on the side of the street and the user 1002 stands outside of the vehicle 1000, and thus the environment noise is relatively large. The utilization of the array of microphones can reduce the environment noise and improve the quality of the picked-up sound.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the processor 2006 in the system 2000 can be configured to receive the voice information from the voice interface 2002, perform voice recognition on the received voice information, and obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition.

In an example of the present invention, the processor 2006 can be arranged within the vehicle 1000. In another example of the present invention, the processor 2006 can be integrated into the exterior of the vehicle 1000. The processor 2006 is connected to the voice interface 2002, and thus the processor 2006 can receive the voice information from the voice interface 2002.

The processor 2006 can perform voice recognition on the received voice information. For example, the processor 2006 can utilize any voice recognition method available in the art to perform the voice recognition on the received voice information. After voice recognition, the received voice information can be recognized as, for example, text information. That is to say, a result of the voice recognition may be for example text information.

The processor 2006 can obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition. For example, the processor 2006 can be connected to a backbend system via a network such as Internet, Intranet, Local Area Network (LAN) and so on. In this case, the processor 2006 can retrieve the backbend system with the result of the voice recognition so as to obtain the resultant information. In another example of the present invention, the processor 2006 can be connected to a local repository database. In this example, the processor 2006 can retrieve the local repository database with the result of the voice recognition so as to obtain the resultant information.

The processor 2006 is connected to an output device 2004, and thus the processor 2006 can provide the resultant information to the output device 2004.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the output device 2004 in the system 2000 can be configured to output the resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000.

In an example of the present invention, the output device 2004 comprises at least one of a display and a speaker.

In an example of the present invention, the display is configured to face to the outside of the vehicle 1000.

In an example, the display can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 at a position where the user 1002 can easily approach to. For example, the display can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 around door windows of the vehicle 1000. In another example, if the vehicle 1000 is a hatchback vehicle, the display can also be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 around the rear windshield.

In another example, the display can be arranged inside the vehicle 1000 and face to the outside of the vehicle 1000. For example, the display can be arranged behind the window of the vehicle 1000.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display can be a transparent display. For example, the display may be LED display, LCD display, OLED display or the like.

The display can be configured to face to the outside of the vehicle 1000 so as to display the resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. In the embodiment of the present invention, the display can receive the resultant information from the processor 2006 and display the resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. As the display has larger display area than the portable terminal such as smart phone, tablet or the like, the user can have a better overview over the information which is presented. Furthermore, the display can provide more useful resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000.

Furthermore, in addition to the interaction between the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1000 and the user 1002 via the voice, the user 1002 may also interact with the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1002 via other interaction manners such as touch, gesture and so on. That is to say, the user 1002 may interact with the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1002 not only via the voice but also via the other interaction manners such as touch, gesture and so no. In this way, the various interaction manners will bring more convenience to the user 1002.

Moreover, in addition to the provision of the resultant information from the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 to the user 1002 via the display, the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1002 may also provide the resultant information to the user 1002 via other provision manners such as the voice output (e.g. a speaker) and so on. That is to say, the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1002 may provide the resultant information to the user 1002 not only via the display 2004 but also via the other provision manners such as the voice output (e.g. a speaker) and so no. In this way, the various provision manners of the resultant information will bring more convenience to the user 1002.

For example, when the user 1002 input the voice information into the system 2000 via the voice interface 2002, the processor 2006 in the system 2000 can receive the voice information from the voice interface 2002, perform voice recognition on the received voice information, and obtain the resultant information. Then, the display can display the resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000, the speaker can speak out the resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000.

In an example, the speaker can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000. For example, the speaker can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 at a position where the user 1002 can easily approach to. For example, the speaker can be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 around door windows of the vehicle 1000. In another example, if the vehicle 1000 is a hatchback vehicle, the speaker can also be arranged on the exterior of the vehicle 1000 around the rear windshield.

In another example, the speaker can be arranged in the exterior of the vehicle 1000. For example, the speaker may be arranged within a roof antenna of the vehicle 1000 or within an air inlet/outlet part of the vehicle 1000.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the processor 2006 can be further configured to be woken up by the voice information. For example, when the user 1002 speaks the voice information such as "Hello！ " to the voice interface 2002 in the system 2000, the processor 2006 in the system 2000 can be woken up and greet the user 1001 with response information such as "What can I do for you？ " . In this way, if there are no users to interact with the system 2000, the system 2000 will be in a standby state, and thus the entire power consumption of the system 2000 can be saved.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the input voice information may include a user inquiry and the resultant information may include all the relevant information to the user inquiry.

For example, if the user 1002 tours a scenic spot, the user 1002 can inquiry the system 2000 about the tourist information relating to the scenic spot via the voice interface 2002. The processor 2006 in the system 2000 can receive the inquiry about the scenic spot from the voice interface 2002, perform voice recognition on the received inquiry about the scenic spot, and obtain the tourist information relating to the scenic spot based on the inquiry about the scenic spot. Then, the output device 2004 in the system 2000 can output the tourist information relating to the scenic spot to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. For example, the display can display the tourist information relating to the scenic spot to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000, the speaker can speak out the tourist information relating to the scenic spot to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. It is noted that the output device 2004 is not limited to the display and the speaker.

In another example, the user 1002 can inquiry the system 2000 about the translation of a foreign language via the voice interface 2002. The processor 2006 in the system 2000 can receive the inquiry about the translation of the foreign language from the voice interface 2002, perform voice recognition on the received inquiry about the translation of the foreign language, and obtain the translation of the foreign language. Then, the output device 2004 in the system 2000 can output the translation of the foreign language to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. For example, the display can display the translation of the foreign language to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000, the speaker can speak out the translation of the foreign language to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. It is noted that the output device 2004 is not limited to the display and the speaker.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the user inquiry may comprise an inquiry about a place of interest and the relevant information may include at least one of map information, route information and menu items relating to the place of interest.

For example, the user 1002 can inquiry the system 2000 about the popular local cinema or restaurant via the voice interface 2002. The processor 2006 in the system 2000 can receive the inquiry about the popular local cinema or restaurant from the voice interface 2002, perform voice recognition on the received inquiry about the popular local cinema or restaurant, and obtain the location of the popular local cinema or restaurant, the route to the popular local cinema or restaurant, and/or discount coupon relating to the popular local cinema or restaurant. Then, the output device 2004 in the system 2000 can output the location of the popular local cinema or restaurant, the route to the popular local cinema or restaurant, and/or discount coupon relating to the popular local cinema or restaurant to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. For example, the display can display the location of the popular local cinema or restaurant, the route to the popular local cinema or restaurant, and/or discount coupon relating to the popular local cinema or restaurant to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000, the speaker can speak out the location of the popular local cinema or restaurant, the route to the popular local cinema or restaurant, and/or discount coupon relating to the popular local cinema or restaurant to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000. It is noted that the output device 2004 is not limited to the display and the speaker.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the processor may be further configured to recommend to the user whether to walk or take cars to the place of interest based on a distance between the user's current position and the place of interest.

For example, the processor 2006 in the system 2000 can calculate the distance between the current position of the user 1002 and the place of interest. If the processor 2006 determines that the distance is within a walking distance such as less than 2 KM, the processor 2006 may recommend the user 1002 to walk to the place of interest. On the other hand, if the processor 2006 determines that the distance is beyond the walking distance such as more than 2 KM, the processor 2006 may recommend the user 1002 to take the car to the place of interest.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the processor is further configured to make the vehicle's headlights twinkle as a response to the user.

For example, when the user 1002 speaks the voice information into the voice interface 2002 and the processor 2006 recognizes the input voice information, the processor 2006 can be configured to make the headlight of the vehicle 1000 twinkle to indicate that the system 2000 understands the voice information from the user 1002. This will make the interaction between the user 1002 and the system 2000 more vivid and interesting.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the processor is further configured to download the resultant information to a portable terminal of the user.

For example, when the output device 2004 outputs the resultant information to the user 1002 outside of the vehicle 1000, the user 1002 can also download the resultant information to his/her portable terminal such as smart phone, tablet or the like. This will bring more convenience to the user 1002.

With reference to Fig. 3, it is a flow chart showing a method of providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The method starts at step 3000. After step 3000, the method proceeds to step 3002.

At step 3002, voice information is received from a voice interface by a processor, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle.

After step 3002, the method proceeds to step 3004. At step 3004, voice recognition is performed on the received voice information by the processor.

After step 3004, the method proceeds to step 3006. At step 3006, resultant information is obtained based on a result of the voice recognition by the processor.

After step 3006, the method proceeds to step 3008. At step 3008, the resultant information is output to the user outside of the vehicle by an output device, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface. For example, the resultant information can be displayed to the user outside of the vehicle by a display, the resultant information can be also spoken out to the user outside of the vehicle by a speaker. It is noted that the output device 2004 is not limited to the display and the speaker.

Finally, the method ends at step 3010.

Moreover, in addition to the provision of the resultant information from the system integrated in the vehicle 1000 to the user 1002 via the display, the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1002 may also provide the resultant information to the user 1002 via other provision manners such as the voice output (e.g. a speaker) and so on. That is to say, the system 2000 integrated in the vehicle 1002 may provide the resultant information to the user 1002 not only via the display but also via the other provision manners such as the voice output (e.g. a speaker) and so no. In this way, the various provision manners of the resultant information will bring more convenience to the user 1002.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the output device may comprise at least one of a display and a speaker.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display may be configured to face to the outside of the vehicle.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display may be a transparent display.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the voice interface may comprise at least one microphone.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise the step of waking up the processor by the voice information.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise the step of recommending, by the processor, to the user whether to walk or take cars to the place of interest based on a distance between the user's current position and the place of interest.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise the step of twinkling, by the processor, the vehicle's headlights as a response to the user.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise the step of downloading, by the processor, the resultant information to a portable terminal of the user.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, interaction with the user outside of the vehicle can be performed and information can be provide to the user outside of the vehicle, and thus the use can be brought with more convenience.

Fig. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus for providing information via a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The blocks of the apparatus 4000 may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof to carry out the principles of the present invention. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the blocks described in Fig. 4 may be combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of the invention as described above. Therefore, the description herein may support any possible combination or separation or further definition of the blocks described herein.

Further, since operations of some components of the apparatus 4000 may become apparent with reference to the methods discussed in relation to Fig. 3, the apparatus 4000 will be described briefly hereinafter.

Referring to Fig. 4, the apparatus 4000 may include a receiving unit 4002, a performing unit 4004, an obtaining unit 4006 and an outputting unit 4008. The receiving unit 4002 may be configured to receive, by a processor, voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle. The performing unit 4004 may be configured to perform, by the processor, voice recognition on the received voice information. The obtaining unit 4006 may be configured to obtain, by the processor, resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition. The outputting unit 4008 may be configured to output, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle, wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface. For example, the resultant information can be displayed to the user outside of the vehicle by a display, the resultant information can be also spoken out to the user outside of the vehicle by a speaker. It is noted that the output device 2004 is not limited to the display and the speaker.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may further comprise means for waking up the processor by the voice information.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may further comprise means for recommending, by the processor, to the user whether to walk or take cars to the place of interest based on a distance between the user's current position and the place of interest.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may further comprise means for twinkling, by the processor, the vehicle's headlights as a response to the user.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may further comprise means for downloading, by the processor, the resultant information to a portable terminal of the user.

Those skilled in the art may clearly know from the above embodiments that the present invention may be implemented by software with necessary hardware, or by hardware, firmware and the like. Based on such understanding, the embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in part in a software form. The computer software may be stored in a readable storage medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk or a flash memory of the computer. The computer software comprises a series of instructions to make the computer (e.g., a personal computer, a service station or a network terminal) execute the method or a part thereof according to respective embodiments of the present invention.

The computing device 5000 may comprise elements that are connected with or in communication with a bus 5002, possibly via one or more interfaces. For example, the computing device 5000 may comprise the bus 5002, and one or more processors 5004, one or more input devices 5006 and one or more output devices 5008. The one or more processors 5004 may be any kinds of processors, and may comprise but are not limited to one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors (such as special processing chips) . The input devices 5006 may be any kinds of devices that can input information to the computing device, and may comprise but are not limited to a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone and/or a remote control. The output devices 5008 may be any kinds of devices that can present information, and may comprise but are not limited to display, a speaker, a video/audio output terminal, a vibrator and/or a printer. The computing device 5000 may also comprise or be connected with non-transitory storage devices 5010 which may be any storage devices that are non-transitory and can implement data stores, and may comprise but are not limited to a disk drive, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, a magnetic tape or any other magnetic medium, a compact disc or any other optical medium, a ROM (Read Only Memory) , a RAM (Random Access Memory) , a cache memory and/or any other memory chip or cartridge, and/or any other medium from which a computer may read data, instructions and/or code. The non-transitory storage devices 5010 may be detachable from an interface. The non-transitory storage devices 5010 may have data/instructions/code for implementing the methods and steps which are described above. The computing device 5000 may also comprise a communication device 5012. The communication device 5012 may be any kinds of device or system that can enable communication with external apparatuses and/or with a network, and may comprise but are not limited to a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and/or a chipset such as a Bluetooth^TM device， 1302.11 device， WiFi device, WiMax device, cellular communication facilities and/or the like.

The computing device 5000 may also comprise a working memory 5014, which may be any kind of working memory that may store instructions and/or data useful for the working of the processor 5004, and may comprise but is not limited to a random access memory and/or a read-only memory device.

Software elements may be located in the working memory 5014, including but are not limited to an operating system 5016, one or more application programs 5018, drivers and/or other data and codes. Instructions for performing the methods and steps described in the above may be comprised in the one or more application programs 5018, and the various units of the aforementioned apparatus 4000 may be implemented by the processor 5004 reading and executing the instructions of the one or more application programs 5018. More specifically, the receiving unit 4002 of the aforementioned apparatus 4000 may, for example, be implemented by the processor 5004 when executing an application 5018 having instructions to perform step 3002 in the aforementioned method 3000. In addition, the performing unit of the aforementioned apparatus 4000 may, for example, be implemented by the processor 5004 when executing an application 5018 having instructions to perform the step 3004 in the aforementioned method 3000. Other units of the aforementioned apparatus 4000 may also, for example, be implemented by the processor 5004 when executing an application 5018 having instructions to perform one or more of the aforementioned respective steps. The executable codes or source codes of the instructions of the software elements may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device (s) 5010 described above, and may be read into the working memory 5014 possibly with compilation and/or installation. The executable codes or source codes of the instructions of the software elements may also be downloaded from a remote location.

It should also be appreciated that variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used, and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed. For example, some or all of the disclosed methods and devices may be implemented by programming hardware (for example, a programmable logic circuitry including field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and/or programmable logic arrays (PLA) ) with an assembler language or a hardware programming language (such as VERILOG, VHDL, C++) by using the logic and algorithm according to the present disclosure.

Although aspects of the present disclosures have been described by far with reference to the drawings, the methods, systems, and apparatuses described above are merely exemplary examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by these aspects, but is only defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. Various elements may be omitted or may be substituted by equivalent elements. In addition, the steps may be performed in an order different from what is described in the present disclosures. Furthermore, various elements may be combined in various manners. What is also important is that as the technology evolves, many of the elements described may be substituted by equivalent elements which emerge after the present disclosure.

Claims

A system for providing information via a vehicle, comprising:

a voice interface configured to input voice information from a user outside of the vehicle；

a processor configured to receive the voice information from the voice interface, perform voice recognition on the received voice information, and obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and

an output device configured to output the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the output device comprises at least one of a display and a speaker.
The system according to claim 2, wherein the display is configured to face to the outside of the vehicle.
The system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the display is a transparent display.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the voice interface comprises at least one microphone.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to be woken up by the voice information.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the input voice information includes a user inquiry and the resultant information includes all the relevant information to the user inquiry.
The system according to claim 7, wherein the user inquiry comprises an inquiry about a place of interest and the relevant information includes at least one of map information, route information and menu items relating to the place of interest.
The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to recommend to the user whether to walk or take cars to the place of interest based on a distance between the user's current position and the place of interest.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to make the vehicle's headlights twinkle as a response to the user.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to download the resultant information to a portable terminal of the user.
A vehicle comprising the system according to any one of claims 1-11.
A method of providing information via a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle；

performing, by the processor, voice recognition on the received voice information；

obtaining, by the processor, resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and

outputting, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.
A computer program product for providing information via a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the program instructions are readable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle；

performing voice recognition on the received voice information；

obtaining resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and

outputting, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.
An apparatus for providing information via a vehicle, comprising:

a memory storing program instructions； and

a processor configured to execute the programs instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receive voice information from a voice interface, wherein the voice interface is configured to input the voice information from a user outside of the vehicle；

perform voice recognition on the received voice information；

obtain resultant information based on a result of the voice recognition； and

output, by an output device, the resultant information to the user outside of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is connected to both the output device and the voice interface.