Photo: USPTO
Unlike Apple, Microsoft doesn’t seem to be interested in building its very own car, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the Redmond-based software giant isn’t looking into ways to expand its business into the automotive sector as well.
While the company keeps focusing on software and services, it’s also experimenting with various ideas that could at one point make their way to vehicles out there, and earlier this year, it patented a technology essentially giving birth to a digital assistant for vehicle-related activities.
Digital assistants have been around for several years already, and they can do all sorts of things, both on the mobile device and in the car.
Most often, assistants help us interact with various systems integrated into the car, such as navigation, but Microsoft’s new patent describes a deeper integration.
More specifically, Microsoft says the assistant could monitor vehicle information and provide so-called tips that can be related to maintenance operations. And what’s more, the assistant could even book a service appointment on its own, create a new entry in your calendar based on the available slots, and then notify the driver when the car needs to be driven to the service center.
“The tips provided by the digital assistant are directed to helping the user with tasks associated with vehicles such as knowing when to obtain service such as oil changes, tire inflation, light replacement, brake replacement, fluid level check/fill, or other service. The digital assistant can utilize user information to automatically book service appointments, recommend times for service or other vehicle actions, route changes and so forth. Tips can also include links to a marketplace where recommended services can be obtained,” Microsoft explains in the patent.
Furthermore, Microsoft says such a digital assistant can provide notifications to the driver, either on the phone or right in the car, both visually and with audio prompts. This way, the owner of the vehicle is always up-to-date with maintenance information, no matter if they’re driving the car or not.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind this is just a patent for now, but given cars are getting smarter and smarter, such technology would feel like home in new-generation vehicles.
Digital assistants have been around for several years already, and they can do all sorts of things, both on the mobile device and in the car.
Most often, assistants help us interact with various systems integrated into the car, such as navigation, but Microsoft’s new patent describes a deeper integration.
More specifically, Microsoft says the assistant could monitor vehicle information and provide so-called tips that can be related to maintenance operations. And what’s more, the assistant could even book a service appointment on its own, create a new entry in your calendar based on the available slots, and then notify the driver when the car needs to be driven to the service center.
“The tips provided by the digital assistant are directed to helping the user with tasks associated with vehicles such as knowing when to obtain service such as oil changes, tire inflation, light replacement, brake replacement, fluid level check/fill, or other service. The digital assistant can utilize user information to automatically book service appointments, recommend times for service or other vehicle actions, route changes and so forth. Tips can also include links to a marketplace where recommended services can be obtained,” Microsoft explains in the patent.
Furthermore, Microsoft says such a digital assistant can provide notifications to the driver, either on the phone or right in the car, both visually and with audio prompts. This way, the owner of the vehicle is always up-to-date with maintenance information, no matter if they’re driving the car or not.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind this is just a patent for now, but given cars are getting smarter and smarter, such technology would feel like home in new-generation vehicles.
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