Apparatus for communicating with a vehicle during remote vehicle operations, program product, and associated methods

A computer readable medium that is readable by a vehicle mobile data computer to enhance command communication in a high-noise environment between a user and a vehicle mobile data computer application program, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the vehicle mobile data computer, cause the vehicle mobile data computer to perform the following operations:

• extracting data from an initializer configured to assign a plurality of user-specific voice command terms or phrases defining a plurality of vehicle mobile data computer application program voice commands each to a corresponding vehicle mobile data computer input device command input for the vehicle mobile data computer application program;
• assigning the plurality of vehicle mobile data computer application program voice commands, responsive to the extracted data, to corresponding vehicle mobile data keyboard key command inputs to interface with the vehicle mobile data computer application program, the voice commands specifically labeled for quick recognition and ease of recall by the user;
• receiving audio input through an audio input device when in a high noise environment;
• and
• performing an acoustic description comparison on the received audio input to thereby identify a preselected set of voice commands consisting essentially of:
• voice command terms assigned in the initializer, members of a phonetic alphabet associated to the initializer to provide command input of a plurality of letters each corresponding to separate keyboard key input, and a plurality of numbers each corresponding to a separate numerical keyboard key input, to identify each respective voice command to thereby execute an associated vehicle mobile data computer application program command input, the preselected set of voice commands being specifically limited in number to reduce computer processor utilization requirements when performing the acoustic description comparison and to enhance voice command recognition probability.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a vehicle mobile data computer to enhance command communication in a high-noise environment between a user and a vehicle mobile data computer application program, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the vehicle mobile data computer, cause the vehicle mobile data computer to perform the following operations:

• receiving from the user through an audio input device as audio input a voice command representing a vehicle mobile data computer application program command input;
• identifying the voice command by analyzing the received audio input;
• echoing the identified voice command through an audio speaker, responsive to identification of the voice command, the echo including preselected audio data associated with the identified voice command and comprising a representation of the identified voice command in prerecorded human voice verbalizing the representation of the identified voice command;
• and
• transmitting the corresponding command input to the vehicle mobile data computer application program.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a vehicle mobile data computer to enhance command communication in a high-noise environment between a user and a vehicle mobile data computer application program, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the vehicle mobile data computer, cause the vehicle mobile data computer to perform the following operations:

• receiving through an audio input device audio input including a plurality of voice commands from the user;
• transmitting to the vehicle mobile data computer application program the plurality of voice commands from the user received as audio input;
• and
• disabling, responsive to a preselected time delay, transmitting the plurality of voice commands to the vehicle mobile data communications application program.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a vehicle mobile data computer to enhance command communication in a high-noise environment between a user and a vehicle mobile data computer application program, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the vehicle mobile data computer, cause the vehicle mobile data computer to perform the following operations:

• receiving an audio input through an audio input device;
• analyzing the received audio input to determine if the audio input includes a voice command from the user;
• rejecting, responsive to a preselected time-out, the received audio input as including a voice command from the user;
• and
• awaiting receipt of a voice command from the user, responsive to the time-out.

A method of enhancing command communication in a high noise environment between a user and a user vehicle mobile data computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving by the user vehicle mobile data computer from a user accessible web site through an area network a single self-extracting executable program including a voice command interface program product adapted to interface with a user vehicle mobile data computer positioned in a user vehicle having at least one vehicle mobile data computer application program requiring command input, the voice command interface program product adapted, responsive to audio input including a plurality of voice commands provided through an audio input device in communication with the user vehicle mobile data computer, to provide vehicle mobile data computer input device emulation for the at least one vehicle mobile data computer application program;
• executing the self-extracting executable program, to thereby install each of a plurality of voice command interface program product components of the voice command interface program product in memory of the vehicle mobile data computer;
• and
• assigning a plurality of user-tailored vehicle mobile data computer application voice commands each to a corresponding keyboard key command input to interface audio input from the audio input device with the at least one vehicle mobile data computer application program, to thereby provide command input, responsive to the plurality of voice commands, to the at least one vehicle mobile data computer application program.

A method of enhancing command communication in a high-noise environment between a user and a user vehicle mobile data computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving as audio input a voice command from the user through an audio input device, the voice command representing a corresponding command input for a vehicle mobile data computer application program;
• identifying the voice command by analyzing the received audio input;
• echoing the identified voice command through an audio speaker, the echo including a preselected audio message prerecorded in human voice verbally repeating the voice command;
• and
• transmitting the corresponding command input to the vehicle mobile data computer application program.

A method of enhancing command communication in a high noise environment between a user and a user vehicle mobile data computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving through an audio input device audio input including a plurality of voice commands from the user;
• transmitting to a user vehicle mobile data computer application program the plurality of voice commands from the user received as audio input;
• and
• disabling, responsive to a preselected time delay, transmitting the plurality of voice commands to the vehicle mobile data computer application program.

A method of enhancing command communication in a high noise environment between a user and a user vehicle mobile data computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an audio input through an audio input device;
• analyzing the received audio input to determine if the audio input is a voice command representing a command input from the user to a vehicle mobile data computer application program;
• rejecting, responsive to a preselected time-out, the received audio input as being a command input from the user;
• and
• awaiting receipt of a command input from the user substantially without delay, responsive to the time-out.