# US 10,479,300 B2 · Monitoring of vehicle window vibrations for voice-command recognition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,300 B2 - Document ID: US10479300B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/727,148 - Filed: 2017-10-06 - Published: 2019-04-11 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-06 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Joshua Wheeler; Scott Andrew Amman; Leah Busch; Ranjani Rangarajan; John Edward Huber - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479300B2 ## CPC - B60R 16/0373: {Voice control (in general G10L)} - G01H 11/00: Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by detecting changes in electric or magnetic properties - G01H 11/08: using piezoelectric devices - H04R 1/46: Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope (throat mountings H04R1/14) - H04R 17/02: Microphones - H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) - H04R 23/02: Transducers using more than one principle simultaneously - H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring of vehicle window vibrations for voice-command recognition. An example vehicle includes a window, an outer layer, a vibration sensor coupled to the window to detect audio vibrations, an audio actuator coupled to the outer layer to vibrate the outer layer, and a controller. The controller is to detect a voice command from a user via the vibration sensor, identify an audio response based upon the voice command, and emit the audio response to the user via the audio actuator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a window; an outer layer; a communication node to detect when a key fob of a user is within a communication range of the vehicle; a vibration sensor coupled to the window to detect audio vibrations; an audio actuator coupled to the outer layer to vibrate the outer layer; and a controller to: activate the vibration sensor responsive to the communication node detecting the key fob is within the communication range; detect a voice command from the user via the vibration sensor; identify an audio response based upon the voice command; and emit the audio response to the user via the audio actuator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the window is a windshield. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller detects the voice command of and emits the audio response for the user when the user is outside of a vehicle cabin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor is an accelerometer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the audio actuator actuates the outer layer to cause the outer layer to form an acoustic baffle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer layer to which the audio actuator is coupled includes a door panel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer layer to which the audio actuator is coupled includes the window. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller triggers detection of the voice command responsive to detecting a wake-up term via the vibration sensor, the wake-up term preceding the voice command. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the voice command includes a request to identify a factory-recommended tire pressure and the audio response includes the factory-recommended tire pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the voice command includes an instruction for the controller to perform a vehicle function. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the instruction is selected from the group consisting of sending a text message via a communication module, starting an engine, and opening a vehicle window. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vibration sensors and a plurality of audio actuators located on a front side, a rear side, a driver side, and a passenger side of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising communication nodes including the communication node to wirelessly couple to the key fob of the user, the communication nodes to detect a location of the key fob via received signal strength indicators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the controller selects which of the plurality of vibration sensors to activate for detecting the voice command based upon the location of the key fob. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: activating a vibration sensor responsive to detecting, via a communication node of a vehicle, that a key fob of a user is within a communication range of the vehicle; detecting, via the vibration sensor, a voice command of the user, the vibration sensor coupled to a window of the vehicle to detect audio vibrations; identifying, via a processor, an audio response based upon the voice command; and emitting, via an audio actuator, the audio response to the user, the audio actuator coupled to an outer layer of the vehicle to vibrate the outer layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising triggering detection of the voice command responsive to detecting a wake-up term via the vibration sensor, the wake-up term preceding the voice command. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: detecting, via communication nodes of the vehicle including the communication node, a location of the key fob of the user; and determining whether to activate the vibration sensor and the audio actuator based upon the location of the key fob. ### Claim 18 A vehicle comprising: an outer layer; a communication module; a vibration sensor and an audio actuator coupled to the outer layer; and a controller to: activate the vibration sensor responsive to detecting, via the communication module, a key fob associated with the vehicle is within a vehicle communication range; detect a voice command via the vibration sensor; identify an audio response based upon the voice command; and emit the audio response via the audio actuator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the outer layer includes one or more windows. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the one or more window includes at least one of a windshield and a side window.