Voice Control (G2297341): Operation

The voice control system provides the driver with the option of voice control for a range of supported functions. The following systems can be controlled by voice control:

Bluetooth® mobile phone system.
Radio.
Media devices.
Navigation (market dependant)

For a full list of supported functions refer to the command list in the voice menu

The voice control system uses a 'visual prompter' system. The visual prompter shown in the Touchscreen (TS) guides the user through the flow. The visual prompter shows examples of what they can say next and also confirmation of where they are in the conversation flow.

NOTE: Mobile phone voice commands are only accessible when a Bluetooth® device is paired and connected to the vehicle and not connected via 'Apple Car Play'.

The voice control system is operated by the voice control switch on the left steering wheel switchpack. Voice commands are detected by the dedicated microphone in the front overhead console. When giving a voice command audible feedback will be heard through the vehicle's audio speakers.

Efficient operation of voice control is reliant on the user understanding some of the following basic operating conditions:

Face forwards, sitting in a normal driving position.
After pressing the voice control switch, always wait for the end of the audible tone before speaking.
Speak naturally, as if you were talking to a passenger or using a mobile phone without pausing between words.
When the voice control system asks for more information, always wait for the end of the prompt before responding.
Always say numbers clearly but at a natural pace.
Excessive noise, for example, while driving with the windows open, may cause voice command mis-recognition. If it is too noisy to use a mobile phone, it is likely that voice commands will not be recognized.

Most accents are understood without difficulty, but if the system does not recognize the command it will allow 2 more attempts to say the command.

Voice feedback is given in the same language as the command recognition.

All feature items listed that can be activated by voice control, can also be activated by touching the relevant command list item on the TS. A list of the available features can be displayed by saying the voice command, 'More Commands'.

The voice control system will work with the user to display the feature lists individually. Say (or select) "Phone Commands", then only the relevant commands for that feature will be read out and displayed.

Starting a Voice Session

To start a voice control session the driver operates the voice control switch on the left steering wheel switchpack briefly. An audible tone can be heard, followed by the presentation of the 'speech screen'. A voice symbol indicates that the system is listening.

Always wait for the listening tone to finish playing before using the command. To end a session press and hold the voice control switch until a double beep is heard.

When the voice control switch is pressed on the left steering wheel switchpack, a signal is received by the Infotainment Master Controller (IMC). The signal goes through the clockspring assembly on a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). A voltage is sent on a single wire from the switchpack, through a resistive ladder and converted to a LIN signal.

The Say What You See (SWYS) visual prompter is calculated and presented in the Touchscreen (TS) when requested to do so by the IMC. The accompanying voice feedback is sent to the Audio Amplifier Module (AAM) from the IMC for broadcast over the speakers. If a recognized user instruction is received via the microphone, the instruction is then processed and sent to the TS to do the required action.

The audio system has speaker adaption that continuously adapts to the person speaking. When a new user speaks, the first 4 to 5 recognitions may be inaccurate as the system is adapting to the new user's voice.

Dialling from the Grapheme-to-Phoneme Phonebook

If the phonebook has been downloaded via Bluetooth®, the voice system does a Grapheme-to-Phoneme (G2P) transcription of the names stored in the phonebook. This is then used by the voice system to allow the user to dial a contact by saying the name stored in the phonebook. There is no need to store a voicetag first.

The user's voice command is matched against the phonebook entries and a list of likely recognition candidates is presented in a 'pick list'. The user selects the required name from the list. If the chosen contact has more than 1 number associated with it, the voice system will work with the user to determine the exact number they wish to dial.

The system will attempt to recognize names based on the currently selected voice language. Foreign contacts may not be recognized correctly and depending on the characters used, may not be recognized at all.

For additional information, Refer to: MOBILE PHONE .

Tuning to Radio stations

Depending on the region, the user can speak commands to tune to a frequency or to Frequency Modulation (FM) station names.

In European regions only, 'Tune to Station Name' is available which matches the user's spoken station name with the stored pre-set names. If the station is within range of the vehicle it will tune to that station. For example, the user can say "Station <Radio 1>".

In North America and Rest of the World (ROW) regions the user can tune to a valid frequency for that region. For example, the user can say "Tune to 94.5".

Playing music from the connected Media devices

There are also voice commands to 'Play' music from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and portable devices connected to the infotainment system.

The user can also give single commands, for example, "Play <Artist Name> <Album Name>" or "Play <Artist name> < Song Name>". The audio system will play songs or albums from a specific artist. For example, the user can say "Play Michael Jackson Bad".

All commands can be spoken irrespective of the current system audio/video mode. The voice system will change modes and audio sources relevant to the command, only if the request is possible. For example, when in 'Tuner' mode, if the user requests a song, the infotainment system will check that a portable device is connected to the USB port. If a valid device is found, the mode will change to USB and start playing the requested song.