How To Activate Voice Recognition?

[aus_rx400h]

Hi All....

I read on here that some owners were able to use voice commands for temperature controls and other things but I couldn't find anything mentioned in my 08's owner's manual about voice commands. I would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction. Many thanks in advance...

[cduluk]

If your Rx has the function, there will be a button on the right side of the steering wheel with a person's face on it. Press, and you will be prompted to state a command after hearing a woman speak.

But you can't tell it to raise or lower the temperature. There aren't many commands that it can recognize...

[lemon]

Sure you can..(tell it to adjust temperature among other things)

See here http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...st&id=12981

This is a list of all the voice commands available...the trick is getting the system to actually understand anything you say. I've given up on trying to use voice commands with the NAV system.

[cduluk]

No, the 400h voice recognition system doesn't do temperature. That's the wrong list.

[lemon]

I'm at work and my RX is at home. I'm almost sure I've played around with the climate control commands before. I think I've even seen a reference card tucked in with my owner's manual. Will be home around 11pm EST and will check and repost.

[aus_rx400h]

If your Rx has the function, there will be a button on the right side of the steering wheel with a person's face on it. Press, and you will be prompted to state a command after hearing a woman speak.

But you can't tell it to raise or lower the temperature. There aren't many commands that it can recognize...

My bad......now that you've mentioned the button on the steering wheel, I'm pretty sure I saw the button but haven't really take much notice of it! Can't wait to test it out when I get home tonight.

Lemon - thankx for the link to the voice commands. I may have better luck with my aussie accents .

[Gryphon]

The only voice command my RX can consistently recognize is "screw up voice command."

Tom

[cduluk]

The only command i find useful is "suspend guidance".

It's useful when you're using the navigation to guide you somewhere. When you get to a point that you recognize, you can tell it to "suspend guidance" and the thing stops talking to you. It's easier than having to press all the buttons on the screen to stop the guidance. You can also tell it to 'resume guidance' and it will start guiding you again.

Other things the voice rec. can recognize: (per my memory)

"FM radio" -switches whatever mode you're in to FM

"AM Radio"

"CD Changer"

"seek up"

"track up"

"Radio OFF" - turns the radio off

OR you could just press the buttons on the steering wheel... lol

You can also use the voice rec. to call a certain phone number by reading off each digit (if you have bluetooth set-up) but it can't recognize the names you've programmed the numbers as...

And you can tell it to "GO HOME" if you have your home address programmed in the nav. That is, if it decides to understand you. A lot of times you give it a command, and it'll tell you "point of interest not found" or something like that... Then it changes the nav screen view and inserts all these symbols... honestly it just makes more work for you

Other than that, i don't find it useful.

Commands i wish it could understand:

-Temperature increase/decrease to (whatever degree)

-Fan speed increase (or decrease)

-air conditioning OFF (or ON)

-defroster ON (or OFF)

But NOPE :( But check out an Acura and it has them...

[lemon]

Damn, I love it when I'm right.

My 400h is a 2006. Just went out to the garage. Turned on the vehicle. Climate control was off. Then pushed the talk button on the steering wheel. After the beep I said 'Automatic air conditioning'. The system (female voice) responded, 'turning air conditioning on'. Then tried 'raise temperature' - system response, 'raising temperature'. Same for 'lower temperature'. When I tried giving it an acutal number it was a bit wonky. My system is set for Celsius. When I said '24 degrees or any other Celsius number', it kept saying 'setting temperature 80 degrees'. It might work better for American vehicles that are displayed in Farenheit not Celsius.

This worked from all screens, though it seemed if I was in the map screen, the system would sometimes do 'map' things instead of climate things. When on the 'climate' screen it seemed to be more focused on doing 'climate' things.

I didn't fool around with any other commands (it's late, I wanna go to bed) but I would guess that all the commands listed in the link in my post above would work. Funny thing is, the system recognizes other words besides the ones listed. If instead of saying 'raise temperature', I said 'increase temperature' it would do the same thing.

Waiting for your apology cduluk...bahahaha...just kidding. You're right about the 'go home' voice command - it might work one time out of ten for me, otherwise it shows me marinas, chinese restaurants, parks, gas stations etc. Funny thing is, none of things it shows me even sound remotely like 'home'. I could understand if I said 'home' and it showed me a 'dome' or something... I find it easier to just press the 'home' button when the map screen is up.

[aus_rx400h]

Just tried it on mine. I pressed once on the Voice command on the steering wheel and an audible speech says 'voice recognition is not available on this screen" while the screen displays voice recognition is not available on this screen and that I have to be in the telephone menu, and when I'm in the telephone menu, I get Voicetag is not available. If I pressed and hold the button, I get 'speech recognition is finished'!!!.

I'm thinking we've been short-changed again.

[lemon]

What year is yours? What screen were you in when you pushed the voice command button? Do you have the NAV system?

[1990LS400]

I'm thinking we've been short-changed again.

Actually, I've sometimes noticed that Lexus vehicles sold in Australia have equipment not available on those sold in the U.S. -- that certainly is the case on my 2000 LS400 where we in the U.S. didn't get the rear air conditioning and audio controls.

Perhaps the Toyota/Lexus engineers couldn't get voice recognition to recognize Australianese so they left the feature off. ;)

I thought it was funny a few years ago when owners found that all they had to do to add voice recognition to the navigation systems in a variety of Toyota vehicles was to install an inexpensive (US$60) microphone from Toyota. Maybe getting voice recognition in your RX is as simple as that.

[aus_rx400h]

What year is yours? What screen were you in when you pushed the voice command button? Do you have the NAV system?

Mine is the updated 2008 spec which received upgrades to headlights, tail-lights, badging and a door sill package, revised chrome grille, new door handles, chrome-finish 18-inch alloy wheels, and a colour-coded rear spoiler, black wood panel accents on the doors, instrument panel, steering wheel and armrests, anti-theft intrusion detector, SatNav, ML audio, and Bluetooth.

Back to my voice commands issue, when I'm in any screen other than telephone, pressing 'talk' button gives "Voice recognition is not available in this screen. Please change to telephone screen". Now that I'm in the telephone screen, pressing 'talk' button gives 'Voicetag is empty'.

Press and hold the 'talk' button gives 'speech recognition mode is finished'. arghhhhh!. It's like voice commands does not work all. It's no biggy but a nice feature to have. On our TV, Ford is advertising their new Ford Mondeo and the selling point is their built-in voice commands which you can turn on aircon, select audio tracks etc...

[Jim Nazium]

I have had more success speaking mandarin to the 400h voice recognition system, than speaking english.

Don't worry, if you don't speak or understand mandarin, neither do I, but apparently the Lexus Voice Recognition does. It works flawlessly.

Cheers,

MadloR

[aus_rx400h]

I have had more success speaking mandarin to the 400h voice recognition system, than speaking english.

Don't worry, if you don't speak or understand mandarin, neither do I, but apparently the Lexus Voice Recognition does. It works flawlessly.

Cheers,

MadloR

One of my fellow Oz member said the voice control only seems to work with the phone system on our RX, not with the sat nav or aircon etc. You have to record the names of your 20 favourite contacts, each associated with a phone number. Then when you want to call them, press the phone button, then the talk button. The system will prompt you to say a name and will connect if it's recognised.

[cduluk]

The air conditioning commands don't work in my 08 :(

[RX400h]

The only command i find useful is "suspend guidance".

It's useful when you're using the navigation to guide you somewhere. When you get to a point that you recognize, you can tell it to "suspend guidance" and the thing stops talking to you. It's easier than having to press all the buttons on the screen to stop the guidance. You can also tell it to 'resume guidance' and it will start guiding you again.

Other things the voice rec. can recognize: (per my memory)

"FM radio" -switches whatever mode you're in to FM

"AM Radio"

"CD Changer"

"seek up"

"track up"

"Radio OFF" - turns the radio off

OR you could just press the buttons on the steering wheel... lol

You can also use the voice rec. to call a certain phone number by reading off each digit (if you have bluetooth set-up) but it can't recognize the names you've programmed the numbers as...

And you can tell it to "GO HOME" if you have your home address programmed in the nav. That is, if it decides to understand you. A lot of times you give it a command, and it'll tell you "point of interest not found" or something like that... Then it changes the nav screen view and inserts all these symbols... honestly it just makes more work for you

Other than that, i don't find it useful.

Commands i wish it could understand:

-Temperature increase/decrease to (whatever degree)

-Fan speed increase (or decrease)

-air conditioning OFF (or ON)

-defroster ON (or OFF)

But NOPE :( But check out an Acura and it has them...

You don't have to include "guidance" - just say "Suspend" (while accenting the "d") and the NAV will announce "Guidance suspended".

[lemon]

The air conditioning commands don't work in my 08 :(

That's really weird. Why would they do away with the voice activation between one year and the next in the same generation? Maybe it's a Canadian model only feature??

[cduluk]

I have no idea why they would do that =(

In my 08 if I say "automatic air conditioning" when it's off, it replies with, "system is showing higher education icons"

Yupp lol

[lemon]

Try turning your A/C on manually, then saying 'Raise Temperature' or 'Lower Temperature'. At least we'll then know that it does take the commands, and it's just not understanding you when you say 'automatic air conditioning'.

[cduluk]

Try turning your A/C on manually, then saying 'Raise Temperature' or 'Lower Temperature'. At least we'll then know that it does take the commands, and it's just not understanding you when you say 'automatic air conditioning'.

Nope, it still can't understand it in mine :(

I have NO idea why the US versions would lack this type of voice command. What the heck...

[lemon]

Trust me, you're not missing anything. Even now that I know I can do it, I still find it easier to just reach out and push the temp up/down button etc.

[Bluesman]

Just tried it on mine. I pressed once on the Voice command on the steering wheel and an audible speech says 'voice recognition is not available on this screen" while the screen displays voice recognition is not available on this screen and that I have to be in the telephone menu, and when I'm in the telephone menu, I get Voicetag is not available. If I pressed and hold the button, I get 'speech recognition is finished'!!!.

I'm thinking we've been short-changed again.

You must enter VOICETAG into the Phonebook of your RX. At the Telephone screen go to Phonebook, choose one entry, go to EDIT, now you are able to edit this entry, you must go to the second page of this edit where is VOICETAG. There you will record the name. It is finished now.

It works with my 1st generation iPhone without problems, however iPhone by itself has no voice dial function.

Regards

Bluesman

[aus_rx400h]

Just tried it on mine. I pressed once on the Voice command on the steering wheel and an audible speech says 'voice recognition is not available on this screen" while the screen displays voice recognition is not available on this screen and that I have to be in the telephone menu, and when I'm in the telephone menu, I get Voicetag is not available. If I pressed and hold the button, I get 'speech recognition is finished'!!!.

I'm thinking we've been short-changed again.

You must enter VOICETAG into the Phonebook of your RX. At the Telephone screen go to Phonebook, choose one entry, go to EDIT, now you are able to edit this entry, you must go to the second page of this edit where is VOICETAG. There you will record the name. It is finished now.

It works with my 1st generation iPhone without problems, however iPhone by itself has no voice dial function.

Regards

Bluesman

Thanks Bluesman. I've got it working now. Need to go into the phonebook entry to add a number, then I had to scroll to the next screen to see the option to record the name. We had a bit of a laugh when I was demonstrating it to a few friends and I say one name and the system thinks it's another. Must be it's something to do with my accents...

[cduluk]

Just tried it on mine. I pressed once on the Voice command on the steering wheel and an audible speech says 'voice recognition is not available on this screen" while the screen displays voice recognition is not available on this screen and that I have to be in the telephone menu, and when I'm in the telephone menu, I get Voicetag is not available. If I pressed and hold the button, I get 'speech recognition is finished'!!!.

I'm thinking we've been short-changed again.

You must enter VOICETAG into the Phonebook of your RX. At the Telephone screen go to Phonebook, choose one entry, go to EDIT, now you are able to edit this entry, you must go to the second page of this edit where is VOICETAG. There you will record the name. It is finished now.

It works with my 1st generation iPhone without problems, however iPhone by itself has no voice dial function.

Regards

Bluesman

Thanks Bluesman. I've got it working now. Need to go into the phonebook entry to add a number, then I had to scroll to the next screen to see the option to record the name. We had a bit of a laugh when I was demonstrating it to a few friends and I say one name and the system thinks it's another. Must be it's something to do with my accents...

is this for using the voice rec. for calling people's names in your phonebook?