Voice recognition

JPG · June 28, 2020

Hi

been trying out the voice recognition,but not sure where I can find the voice training section,if it as one.It just doesn’t seem to get what I’m saying also when I press the voice button it brings a menu up of things to say then another menu,I gave up.I was expecting It to just let me say something and for it to do it.

does it need resetting or any?

royoftherovers · June 28, 2020

11 minutes ago, JPG said:

Hi

been trying out the voice recognition,but not sure where I can find the voice training section,if it as one.It just doesn’t seem to get what I’m saying also when I press the voice button it brings a menu up of things to say then another menu,I gave up.I was expecting It to just let me say something and for it to do it.

does it need resetting or any?

Page 486 in section 5.22 of any use to you Jon ?

Or P 229 in Nav manual ?

Edited June 28, 2020 by royoftherovers
addition.

JPG · June 28, 2020

Just downloaded the nav Manuel,nothing about the voice training.

no worries 👍

200h · June 29, 2020

try using longer names for the pnone directory

for E.g contact for Jo i would change it to Joanne

as it maybe misunderstood for mo,lo,ro or any other word

with the same ending and then mis-dial a contact

in my experience the longer the name the more accurate the results.

Thackeray · June 29, 2020

19 hours ago, JPG said:

I gave up.I was expecting It to just let me say something and for it to do it.

This was my experience too on the IS. I gave up for about 18 months before investigating again. I hope I can help you avoid the same experience.

The thing is, you were expecting voice recognition (as I was) and it doesn't have this feature. To do decent voice recognition you need a biggish computer or Google's servers. These cars don't have this, though perhaps some other Lexus models do. You may have experience with dictation software like Dragon Dictate or similar. With these, you can train it to recognise your voice and then it types what you say increasingly accurately as you correct it over time. This is also how live subtitles are done on television. The computer can't cope with the range of voices heard on the television so a subtitler trains the computer with his or her voice and then re-speaks everything that's said, using a single voice that the computer is then familiar with.

But the IS and as far as I can see the CT don't do this. That's why I ignored this feature for 18 months. However, it does have a much more basic feature, which despite being limited is nonetheless quite useful. This is that you can record the names of people on your phone contact list. When you've done this, it's actually quite convenient to be able to call them just by pressing the voice button on the steering wheel and then speaking the person's name. The number will then be dialled. It's actually a nice and useful feature. But it's not voice recognition as generally understood and there's a maximum of 50 names that you can record.

These recorded names are called "Voice Tags" which isn't very intuitive if you're trying to find the feature in the index of the manual and you don't know what it's called. So as so often with manuals, it's not very useful if you don't know what they call the thing that you're looking for. As I say, it took me 18 months to work it out. It would be nice if Lexus had a Documentation Testing Department but it looks as though they don't. So although the manual looks as though it ought to be able to help you, since they don't seem to have tested the manual on real customers, as often as not it doesn't.

JPG · June 30, 2020

Nice one i will check it out

think I’ve been looking at the wrong YouTube videos on this subject,because there was an option to do voice training from the screen,but I’m guessing with him being American,it’s only in America 😁

JPG · July 4, 2020

On 6/29/2020 at 3:21 PM, Thackeray said:

This was my experience too on the IS. I gave up for about 18 months before investigating again. I hope I can help you avoid the same experience.

The thing is, you were expecting voice recognition (as I was) and it doesn't have this feature. To do decent voice recognition you need a biggish computer or Google's servers. These cars don't have this, though perhaps some other Lexus models do. You may have experience with dictation software like Dragon Dictate or similar. With these, you can train it to recognise your voice and then it types what you say increasingly accurately as you correct it over time. This is also how live subtitles are done on television. The computer can't cope with the range of voices heard on the television so a subtitler trains the computer with his or her voice and then re-speaks everything that's said, using a single voice that the computer is then familiar with.

But the IS and as far as I can see the CT don't do this. That's why I ignored this feature for 18 months. However, it does have a much more basic feature, which despite being limited is nonetheless quite useful. This is that you can record the names of people on your phone contact list. When you've done this, it's actually quite convenient to be able to call them just by pressing the voice button on the steering wheel and then speaking the person's name. The number will then be dialled. It's actually a nice and useful feature. But it's not voice recognition as generally understood and there's a maximum of 50 names that you can record.

These recorded names are called "Voice Tags" which isn't very intuitive if you're trying to find the feature in the index of the manual and you don't know what it's called. So as so often with manuals, it's not very useful if you don't know what they call the thing that you're looking for. As I say, it took me 18 months to work it out. It would be nice if Lexus had a Documentation Testing Department but it looks as though they don't. So although the manual looks as though it ought to be able to help you, since they don't seem to have tested the manual on real customers, as often as not it doesn't.

Hi I’m still trying to find out how to access the voice tag feature,could you tell me how it’s done?

Thackeray · July 4, 2020

1 hour ago, JPG said:

Hi I’m still trying to find out how to access the voice tag feature,could you tell me how it’s done?

This is what the manual says. (This is on page 486 though you may have a different version)

You can register desired contacts to enable the speech command system. Up to
50 contacts per phone can be registered.

Go to “Voice tags”: “MENU” button  “Setup”  “Telephone”  “Contact/call history settings”  “Voice tag”  “New” or “Edit”
Select the desired contact.
Move the controller to the left and then select “REC”.
Say the registered voice tag.
To play the registered voice, select “Play”.

Stompe · July 4, 2020

5 hours ago, Thackeray said:

This is what the manual says. (This is on page 486 though you may have a different version)

You can register desired contacts to enable the speech command system. Up to
50 contacts per phone can be registered.

Go to “Voice tags”: “MENU” button  “Setup”  “Telephone”  “Contact/call history settings”  “Voice tag”  “New” or “Edit”

Select the desired contact.

Move the controller to the left and then select “REC”.

Say the registered voice tag.

To play the registered voice, select “Play”.

When I follow these steps I do not have the "voice tags" option when I go into contact/call history setting? I have a 2018 Lexus CT200H with premium navigation. I do have the speech command system button on the steering wheel but not voice tags option on setup. Can anyone help please?

JPG · July 4, 2020

Same here

Thackeray · July 5, 2020

15 hours ago, Stompe said:

When I follow these steps I do not have the "voice tags" option when I go into contact/call history setting? I have a 2018 Lexus CT200H with premium navigation. I do have the speech command system button on the steering wheel but not voice tags option on setup. Can anyone help please?

Looks as though the recent year CT200h and/or the premium nav option does this differently. Does your manual say something different from the one above? There must be a reference in it to the voice button on the steering wheel.

My only other thought is that the car has lost the contact list that it copies from your phone. Does the phone connect correctly so that you can see the contact list?

On the internet I've also seen different instructions for the voice tags, where you go to the contact list and then there's a button labelled options which will take you to the voice tags. But there was no indication of which model/year this was for.

If you find the solution, let us know how it should work.

Stompe · July 5, 2020

1 hour ago, Thackeray said:

Looks as though the recent year CT200h and/or the premium nav option does this differently. Does your manual say something different from the one above? There must be a reference in it to the voice button on the steering wheel.

My only other thought is that the car has lost the contact list that it copies from your phone. Does the phone connect correctly so that you can see the contact list?

On the internet I've also seen different instructions for the voice tags, where you go to the contact list and then there's a button labelled options which will take you to the voice tags. But there was no indication of which model/year this was for.

If you find the solution, let us know how it should work.

Hi Thackeray

We checked the page and it had the above instructions on there but no voice tag option. Very long story short we have a case with Lexus UK at the moment because we cannot get up text messaging. Dealer has tried a variety of phones to no avail. Being as it is premium navigation we expect it to work. My history I have been with Toyota/Lexus for 40 odd years and in my experience the owners manuals are not the best. They at best to be generic and not specific for the vehicle you have purchased. Also it was well documented that the infotainment system is probably one of the worst and perhaps now is the reason why they are going over to Android and car play but watch this space.

I can confirm that all of my contacts copy over from phone every time I connect to the car. If I find a solution I will let you know.

In the meantime, I would be very grateful if someone could tell me if their mobile phone works for text messages on a CT200h with the 2017/2018 premium navigation.

Moleman · July 7, 2020

Mine works, text come up on screen and you can have the text read out as well. 2019 F sport.premium navigation

Stompe · July 7, 2020

16 minutes ago, Moleman said:

Mine works, text come up on screen and you can have the text read out as well. 2019 F sport.premium navigation

Hi Moleman,

Thanks for confirming that, can I ask what phone you have please?

Moleman · July 8, 2020

Nokia 5

JPG · July 11, 2020

Nope still can’t find the voice tags

200h · July 11, 2020

here is a link for you

just make sure there isnt any noise in the background when recording the tag

i.e. music playing in the background

as the system will be looking for this sound aswell.

JPG · July 11, 2020

Weird I just don’t get a choice to click options,it’s just not there.

200h · July 11, 2020

hi jon

so you have the 10.3" screen with premium nav

i know my car is an IS300h but it has premium nav

my contact name for the landline is Manor and

this is what i do to ring home

1) press off hook button

2) say "call manor" all in 1 go do not pause

3) press the dial button

JPG · July 11, 2020

Not sure now about the premium nav,I’ll have to find out.

cheers I’ll give that a go👍

200h · July 11, 2020

i may be wrong but i thought the 10.3" is the upgraded screen

that comes with the premium nav

JPG · July 11, 2020

Don’t know,but I’ll give your suggestion a go tomorrow.

Stompe · July 12, 2020

Hi all, I also have premium navigation in my CT200h but if I am really honest it is not impressive. As expressed above no voice tags. The navigation itself is at least 18 months out of date even if you paid the laughable amount to have it updated. I think this is a big let down for Lexus. No wonder now on the newest vehicles they have Car Play and Android, in other words they have given up trying to make an Infotainment system that is any good which is not conducive to us CT Takumi owners.

JPG · July 12, 2020

I’m impressed with mine🤷‍♂️
but that’s probably as it’s my first car with built in satnav,but we’ve been to a few places already in it and it’s been spot on,tested it against google maps on my phone.

its just this voice thing I need to work out and set up.