A device control apparatus includes a detector which detects sound; and a controller which controls a plurality of devices. The plurality of devices includes a first device which is not related to operation of a vehicle and a second device which is related to the operation of the vehicle. The controller is configured to: recognize voice of a user by using data of the sound detected by the detector; identify a type of an operation target device from a plurality of the devices and operation content of the operation target device, based on the voice recognized; notify a user of start of activating the first device by the operation content identified and activate the first device by the operation content identified when the operation target identified is the first device; and notify the user to request a response before the controller activates the second device by the operation content identified when the operation target identified is the second device.

Systems and methods performed in a vehicle involve obtaining a request generated from a voice command by an operator, the request being generated using speech recognition and the request being a selection of an operational mode of the vehicle. The method includes determining pre-settings required by the request, a specified order of activation required for the pre-settings, and whether the request is ready to initiate, the request requires one or more of the pre-settings to be activated, or the request is infeasible. The method also includes providing feedback to the operator based on a result of the determining, and issuing one or more instructions to implement the operational mode according to the request based on the result of the determining being that the request is ready to initiate.

A vehicle control device is provided in a vehicle and includes a microphone, a first voice recognition engine, a second voice recognition engine different from the first voice recognition engine, and a processor for executing the first voice recognition engine or the second voice recognition engine on the basis of the vehicle traveling mode when a command is received through the microphone.

Implementations are directed to determining an audio delay, of a computing device, by causing an audio data stream to be transmitted to the computing device via a wireless communication channel. The computing device causes audio output generated using the audio data stream to be rendered via speaker(s). The rendered audio output is captured via microphone(s), and the audio delay determined by comparing the captured audio output with the audio data stream. A delay audio segment can be appended to an additional audio data stream transmitted to the computing device, where the length of the delay audio segment is determined using the audio delay. A noise reduction technique can additionally or alternatively be adapted based on the audio delay. Implementations are additionally or alternatively directed to determining if an audio data stream transmitted to a computing device for rendering through speaker(s) driven by the computing deviceis actually being rendered.

Systems and methods for vehicle microphone activation and/or identification of incoming speech-to-text data by the location of the speaking occupant. In some embodiments, the system may comprise a plurality of microphones, each of which may be linked with a particular occupant/seat in the vehicle. The system may be configured to link incoming STT data with a particular microphone/occupant. This may be done by an explicit trigger from an occupant or by actuation of a button or other actuation means by a vehicle occupant. The STT data may then be processed using the location data.

Provided is an information transmission method including: a type determination step of determining a type of information to be transmitted to a driver of a vehicle when the driver is driving the vehicle; a sound output step of outputting the information in the form of sound; and a display step of operating a display device to display an illumination pattern as a function of the determined type.

A system includes a processor configured to receive a route request including at least one ride-comfort parameter. The processor is also configured to determine a route including a road for which predefined comfort characteristics corresponding to the ride-comfort parameter meet the included ride-comfort parameter and return the route responsive to completing the determination.

Devices, systems and processes for a dynamic microphone system that enhances the passenger experience in autonomous vehicles are described. One example method for enhancing a passenger experiences includes generating, using an artificial intelligence algorithm, a plurality of filters based on a plurality of stored waveforms previously recorded by each of one or more passengers and a plurality of recordings of one or more noise sources, capturing voice commands from at least one of the one or more passengers inside the autonomous vehicle, generating voice commands with reduced distortion based on processing the voice commands using the plurality of filters, and instructing, based on the voice commands with reduced distortion, the autonomous vehicle to perform one or more actions.

A control apparatus controls an agent apparatus functioning as a user interface of a request processing apparatus that acquires a request indicated by at least one of a voice and a gesture of a user and performs a process corresponding to the request. The control apparatus includes a transmission event detecting section that detects an occurrence of an event necessitating transmission of a message to a communication terminal of the user, and a transmission determining section that makes a determination to transmit a voice message to the communication terminal of the user, via a communication network, if an occurrence of the event is detected.

A vehicle control apparatus to be used in a vehicle controllable on the basis of a voice input includes a determination unit and an input unit. The determination unit is configured to determine whether a main operator of the vehicle is in a predetermined state where the main operator is not possible to perform an operation or is not performing an operation. The input unit is configured to accept an operational input based on a voice of the main operator, as well as to accept an operational input based on a voice of a passenger of the vehicle in a case where the determination unit has determined that the main operator is in the predetermined state.