# US 8,787,977 B2 · Method of controlling dialing modes in a vehicle

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- Number: US 8,787,977 B2
- Document ID: US8787977B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/756,767
- Filed: 2010-04-08
- Published: 2011-10-13
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-04-08
- Assignees: General Motors Corporation
- Applicants: Michael A. Wuergler; Sherri J. Voran-Nowak; Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan; Gaurav Talwar
- Inventors: Michael A. Wuergler; Sherri J. Voran-Nowak; Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan; Gaurav Talwar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787977B2

## CPC

- H04M 1/6083: {by interfacing with the vehicle audio system}
- H04M 1/271: {controlled by voice recognition}
- H04M 1/6075: {adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle (H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241)}
- H04M 1/6033: {for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets (arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08)}
- H04M 1/6041: {Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use}
- H04M 1/6091: {including a wireless interface}
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A dialing mode of a telematics unit in a vehicle is controlled by monitoring for dialing digits from a vehicle occupant, determining whether the type of dialing digits are continuous dialing digits or discrete dialing digits, establishing a continuous mode for receiving continuous dialing digits or a discrete mode for receiving discrete dialing digits based on the determination, and if the type of dialing digits changes, switching the established mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling a dialing mode of a telematics unit in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving dialing digits that are spoken by a vehicle occupant;
(b) placing a vehicle telematics unit in a voice mode;
(c) determining that the dialing digits are no longer being spoken;
(d) placing the vehicle telematics unit in a manual mode in response to the determination in step (c);
(e) adding one or more dialing digits received via a tactile device to the dialing digits spoken by the vehicle occupant; and
(f) monitoring both the tactile device and a microphone for additional dialing digits either spoken by the vehicle occupant or received at the tactile device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a voice mode based on the spoken dialing digits.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises making the determination based on the detection of a manual manipulation of the tactile device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the dialing digits are continuous dialing digits or discrete dialing digits.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of establishing a continuous mode or a discrete mode based on the determination.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dialing digits added in step (e) are in response to an interactive voice response system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the tactile device is a keypad.

### Claim 8

A method of controlling a dialing mode of a telematics unit in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) monitoring for dialing digits from a vehicle occupant;
(b) determining whether the type of dialing digits are continuous dialing digits or discrete dialing digits;
(c) selecting between a continuous mode for receiving continuous dialing digits and a discrete mode for receiving discrete dialing digits based on the determination, wherein the discrete mode performs speech recognition on each digit prior to receiving subsequent digits;
(d) directing a vehicle telematics unit to enter the selected mode; and
(e) if the type of dialing digits determined in step (b) changes, switching the selected mode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of monitoring for the dialing digits via a microphone or a tactile device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the continuous dialing digits are a string of numbers or a telephone number.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of establishing a voice mode or a manual mode.