METHOD FOR OPERATING A DIGITAL ASSISTANT OF A VEHICLE, COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM, SYSTEM, AND VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for operating a digital assistant of a vehicle includes receiving a status of the digital assistant, and determining a display device for displaying the status of the digital assistant. The method further includes determining at least one display parameter of the display device. The method also includes generating an animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device, and the at least one display parameter. The animated visual control object is deployed on the display device. A corresponding system performs the method.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A method for operating a digital assistant of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a status of the digital assistant; determining a display device for displaying the status of the digital assistant; determining at least one display parameter of the display device; generating an animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device, and the at least one display parameter; and deploying the animated visual control object on the display device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the status of the digital assistant is representative of a state of an interaction between a user and the digital assistant, of a state of a dialog between the user and the digital assistant, and/or of a data processing state of the digital assistant.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display device is a display of a mobile terminal that is linked to the vehicle; and/or wherein the display device is a display of the vehicle which is permanently connected to the vehicle.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one display parameter is a size of a virtual display area of the display device that is available for deploying the animated visual control object; and/or wherein the at least one display parameter comprises a maximum resolution of the display device with which the animated visual control object from the display device is deployed.

15. The method as claimed claim 11, wherein the animated visual control object comprises a plurality of animated particle objects.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a graphical shape and a motion pattern of each of the plurality of animated particle objects are determined depending on one or more vehicle-specific parameters.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining a motion pattern for each animated particle object of the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein the motion pattern preferably defines a dynamic, a motion, and/or a depth of field depending on the status of the digital assistant.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining a graphical pattern of the animated visual control object for the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein at least the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object determines a target position for the motion of each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects to which each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects moves, by means of the respective motion pattern, and wherein the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object is preferably representative of a function of the animated visual control object and/or representative of information about the animated visual control object to the user of the digital assistant.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of animated particle objects has a graphical shape and a motion pattern.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining the motion pattern for each animated particle object of the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein the motion pattern preferably defines a dynamic, a motion, and/or a depth of field depending on the status of the digital assistant.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining a graphical pattern of the animated visual control object for the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein at least the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object determines a target position for the motion of each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects to which each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects moves, by means of the respective motion pattern, and wherein the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object is preferably representative of a function of the animated visual control object and/or representative of information about the animated visual control object to the user of the digital assistant.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining a graphical pattern of the animated visual control object for the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein at least the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object determines a target position for the motion of each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects to which each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects moves, by means of the respective motion pattern, and wherein the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object is preferably representative of a function of the animated visual control object and/or representative of information about the animated visual control object to the user of the digital assistant.

23. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter comprises: generating a plurality of animated particle objects depending on the at least one display parameter of the display device, wherein a shape, a size, depth-of-field parameter, and an initial position in a specified grid is determined for each animated particle object, depending on the at least one display parameter of the display device and on the display device, and wherein the plurality of animated particle objects is generated with a particle density determined depending on the at least one display parameter of the display device and on the display device.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein a graphical shape and the motion pattern of each animated particle object are determined depending on one or more vehicle-specific parameters.

25. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining a motion pattern for each animated particle object from a plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein the motion pattern preferably defines a dynamic, a motion, and/or a depth of field depending on the status of the digital assistant.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein generating the animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter further comprises: determining a graphical pattern of the animated visual control object for the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant, wherein at least the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object determines a target position for the motion of each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects to which each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects moves, by means of the respective motion pattern, and wherein the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object is preferably representative of a function of the animated visual control object and/or representative of information about the animated visual control object to the user of the digital assistant.

27. A computer-readable medium for operating a digital assistant of a vehicle, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, when executed on a computer or a control unit, carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

28. A system for providing a digital assistant of a vehicle, wherein the system is designed to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

29. A vehicle comprising the system for operating a digital assistant of a vehicle as claimed in claim 28.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary method for operating a digital assistant of a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In detail, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary method 100 for operating a digital assistant on a vehicle. The method 100 can receive a status of the digital assistant 102. The status of the digital assistant can be representative of a state of an interaction between a user and the digital assistant, of a state of a dialog between the user and the digital assistant, and/or of a data processing state of the digital assistant. In addition, the status of the digital assistant can be associated with an emotion and/or a behavior.

[0024] The method 100 can determine one or more display devices to display the status of the digital assistant 104. Preferably, each display device is a display device of the vehicle or a mobile terminal that is communicatively connected to the vehicle. In addition, the method 100 can determine at least one display parameter, preferably a plurality of display parameters, of the respective display device 106. For example, a display parameter can be a size or resolution of a display area of the display device.

[0025] The method can further generate an animated visual control object depending on the status of the digital assistant, the display device and the at least one display parameter 108. The animated visual control object can be representative of the status of the digital assistant and inform the user of the digital assistant about the status of the digital assistant in a context-dependent manner with different emotions and/or behaviors.

[0026] For example, the animated visual control can inform the user that the digital assistant is listening, thinking, speaking, confirming, communicating an emotion, and/or prompting a control action.

[0027] In detail, the animated visual control object can comprise a plurality of animated particle objects. Each animated particle object can have a graphical shape and a motion pattern. The graphical shape can be determined by the method 100 depending on vehicle-specific parameters.

[0028] For example, the graphical shape can be determined depending on a vehicle type, a vehicle configuration and/or a vehicle-specific function. The motion pattern can be determined for each animated particle object depending on the status of the digital assistant. The motion pattern can define a dynamics, a movement, and/or a depth of field depending on the status of the digital assistant.

[0029] A number of particle objects in the plurality of the animated particle objects can be determined depending on one or more display parameters of the display device. For example, if a display parameter indicates that a display area exists for a small number of particle objects, e.g. less than 10 particle objects, the method can generate a corresponding number of animated particle objects. For example, in generating the plurality of animated particle objects, for each animated particle object a shape, a size, a depth-of-field parameter, and an initial position in a specified grid can be determined depending on one or more display parameters of the display device, and in particular on a type of the display device. The method can also define the particle density at which the animated particle objects are generated, wherein the particle density is determined depending on one or more display parameters of the display device and in particular on a type of the display device.

[0030] Furthermore, a graphical pattern of the control object can be determined for the plurality of animated particle objects depending on the status of the digital assistant.

[0031] The graphical pattern of the animated visual control object can define a target position for the movement of each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects to which each animated particle object from the plurality of animated particle objects moves, by means of its motion pattern. In addition, the graphical pattern of the animated visual control object can preferably be representative of a function of the animated visual control object and/or representative of information about the animated visual control object to the user of the digital assistant.

[0032] The method 100 can finally deploy the animated visual control object on the display device. By deploying the animated visual control object on the display device, the previously generated animated visual control object can be implemented. Advantageously, the animated visual control object does not need to be pre-defined for each display device, but can be dynamically adapted to display devices so that the animated visual control object can be deployed on different display devices. By using a plurality of particle objects to generate the animated visual control object, the visual control object can be flexibly adapted to vehicles and their different configurations. If the user changes the vehicle, there is no need to re-learn how to interact with the digital assistant, as the animated visual control object can be adapted to the appropriate vehicle environment and the operation of the digital assistant is simplified by the animated visual control object. Information about the status of the digital assistant can thus be provided to the user of the digital assistant more efficiently, in particular more easily. The digital assistant can be operated more efficiently in the vehicle because the user can more easily acquire information about the status of the digital assistant using the animated visual control object.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0033] 100 method

[0034] 102 Receiving a status of the digital assistant

[0035] 104 Determining a display device

[0036] 106 Determining at least one display parameter

[0037] 108 Generating an animated visual control object

[0038] 110 Deploying the animated visual control object