US 10347248

Here is a concise summary of U.S. Patent 10,347,248.

Summary of U.S. Patent 10,347,248

Title: System and method for providing in-vehicle services via a natural language voice user interface

Assignee: The patent has been assigned multiple times. The original assignee was VoiceBox Technologies Corp. Subsequent assignments were made to ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC, back to VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, then to CERENCE INC., BARCLAYS BANK PLC, CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY, and WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. As of the latest publicly available information, it was assigned back to CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY.

Inventors: Michael R. Kennewick, Catherine Cheung, Larry Baldwin, Ari Salomon, Michael Tjalve, Sheetal Guttigoli, Lynn Armstrong, Philippe Di Cristo, Bernie Zimmerman, Sam Menaker

Filing Date: April 3, 2017

Issue Date: July 9, 2019

Abstract:
A natural language voice user interface is provided for a telematics system of a vehicle. The voice user interface may be configured to receive a natural language spoken request from a user in the vehicle to provide one or more in-vehicle services. The voice user interface may determine a response to the request based on a current location of the vehicle, and the in-vehicle services may then be provided based on the determined response.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

This patent includes two independent claims, one for a method and one for a system.

Independent Claim 1 (Method):
This claim describes a method for a telematics system within a vehicle to provide services using a natural language voice interface. The core of the method involves:

1. Receiving a spoken request from a user in natural, conversational language.
2. Determining the vehicle's current geographical location.
3. Analyzing the user's request in the context of the vehicle's location to figure out what the user wants.
4. Based on this analysis, generating a response and providing the requested in-vehicle service.

In essence, this claim covers a process where a driver can speak naturally to the car's system, and the system uses the car's location to understand and fulfill the request.

Independent Claim 13 (System):
This claim outlines the physical system that performs the method described in claim 1. The system comprises:

1. A telematics system within a vehicle, which includes a processor.
2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (like a hard drive or memory) connected to the processor. This medium stores instructions that, when run by the processor, cause the system to:
   • Receive a natural language spoken request from a user inside the vehicle.
   • Figure out the vehicle's current location.
   • Determine an appropriate response to the request based on the vehicle's location.
   • Provide in-vehicle services based on that determined response.

This claim essentially covers the hardware and software combination within a vehicle that enables the voice-controlled, location-aware services.

A search of the dockets for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026 did not yield any results for cases involving U.S. Patent 10,347,248. However, this does not definitively mean no litigation exists, only that no records were found in the specified search.