In-vehicle device, server device, information system, and content start method

• US 10,056,079 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yusuke, Fujieda, Takuya, Abe, Noriyuki, Orino, Makoto, Okamoto, Kimio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Seong Ah A
• Application Number:
  US15/203,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 704225, 704233, 704235, 704275, 715834
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An in-vehicle device according to the present invention includes a voice input receiving unit that receives input information with a voice, an output control unit that transmits the input information to a predetermined external device, and then outputs a plurality of received content candidates according to order of a priority degree of the content candidates, and a content execution unit that executes the content candidate upon receipt of specification of any of the output content candidates.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device comprising:

a voice input/output connection device including a microphone that receives a voice from a user and a speaker that outputs a voice message to the user;

an input device including at least one of a touch panel and a dial switch that receives an instruction from the user;

a central processing unit programmed to

receive input information from the voice input/output connection device including the voice from the user;

convert the received input information into text information and identify keywords corresponding to the text information;

transmit the input information to a predetermined external device, including a keyword storage unit configured to store a word in association with a word and content related to the word;

a control unit programmed to recognize, upon receipt of information input with a voice, a word included in the information input with a voice as an input word, and identify a directly related word related to the input word and an indirectly related word related to the directly related word, but not included in the information input with the voice, using the keyword storage unit, identify pieces of content respectively associated with the input word, the directly related word and the indirectly related word, using the keyword storage unit, and transmit one or a plurality of the pieces of the content to the in-vehicle device for display to a user;

a priority category storage unit configured to store biological state information indicating a state of a biological body in association with a category obtained by classifying the content candidates; and

a priority category determination unit configured to identify the category associated by the priority category storage unit upon receipt of the biological state information, and set a priority order to the content candidates identified according to the category of the content candidates, receive from the external device the plurality of content candidates according to the priority order of the content candidates that is based on the category of the biological state information indicating the state of the biological body, and then output the plurality of content candidates according to the priority order of the content candidates; and

execute, upon receipt of specification from the input device of any of the output content candidates, the content candidate; and

a display that displays the plurality of content candidates according to the priority order of the content candidates.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein

the central processing unit displays a display area of the content candidate larger as the order of the priority degree is higher.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein

the central processing unit acquires the biological state information indicating the state of the biological body from an external biological information detection device, and

the central processing unit transmits the biological state information to the external device.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit programmed to:

acquire environment information, and

transmit the environment information to the external device.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the biological state information includes at least one of arousal level decrease, attention distraction, and bad health of the biological body.

6. A server device comprising:

a keyword storage unit configured to store a word in association with a word and content related to the word;

a control unit programmed to

recognize, upon receipt of information input with a voice, a word included in the information input with a voice as an input word, and identify a directly related word related to the input word and an indirectly related word related to the directly related word, but not included in the information input with a voice, using the keyword storage unit;

identify pieces of content respectively associated with the input word, the directly related word and the indirectly related word, using the keyword storage unit; and

transmit one or a plurality of the pieces of the content to an external device, including a voice input/output connection device including a microphone that receives the voice from a user and a speaker that outputs a voice message to the user, an input device including at least one of a touch panel and a dial switch that receives an instruction from the user, a central processing unit programmed to receive input information from the voice input/output connection device including the voice from the user, convert the received input information into text information and identify keywords corresponding to the text information, transmit the input information to the server device, receive from the server device a plurality of content candidates according to a priority order of the content candidates that is based on a category of biological state information, and then output the plurality of content candidates according to the priority order of the content candidates, and execute, upon receipt of specification from the input device of any of the output content candidates, the content candidate, and a display that displays the plurality of content candidates according to the priority order of the content candidates, for display to the user;

a priority category storage unit configured to store the biological state information indicating a state of a biological body in association with the category of the biological state information, which is obtained by classifying the content candidates; and

a priority category determination unit configured to identify the category associated by the priority category storage unit upon receipt of the biological state information, and set the priority order to the content candidates identified according to the category of the content candidates.

7. The server device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a word conversion table storage unit configured to store environmental information identifying an environment in association with a keyword;

wherein

the control unit is programmed to identify, upon receipt of the environment information, the keyword associated with the environment information using the word conversion table storage unit, and recognize the keyword as the input word, and

the control unit is programmed to identify the directly related word and the indirectly related word using the input word.

8. The server device according to claim 6, wherein the biological state information includes at least one of arousal level decrease, attention distraction, and bad health of the biological body.

9. An information system comprising:

an in-vehicle device; and

a server device communicatively connected with the in-vehicle device,

the in-vehicle device including

a voice input/output connection device including a microphone that receives a voice from a user and a speaker that outputs a voice message to the user;

an input device including at least one of a touch panel and a dial switch that receives an instruction from the user;

a central processing unit programmed to

receive input information from the voice input/output connection device including the voice from the user,

convert the received input information into text information and identify keywords corresponding to the text information;

transmit the input information to the server device, receive from the server device a plurality of content candidates according to an order of a priority degree of the content candidates that is based on a category of biological body information, and then output the plurality of content candidates according to the order of the priority degree, and

execute, upon receipt of specification from the input device of any of the output content candidates, the content candidate, and

a display that displays the plurality of content candidates according to the order of the priority degree;

the server device including

a keyword storage unit configured to store a word in association with a word and content related to the word;

a control unit programmed to

recognize, upon receipt of information input with a voice, a word included in the input information as an input word, and identify a directly related word associated with the input word and an indirectly related word associated with the directly related word, but not included in the information input with a voice, using the keyword storage unit,

identify pieces of content associated with the input word, and the directly related word and the indirectly related word using the keyword storage unit, and

transmit one or a plurality of the pieces of content to the in-vehicle device as the content candidates;

a priority category storage unit configured to store biological state information indicating a state of a biological body in association with a category obtained by classifying the content candidates; and

a priority category determination unit configured to identify the category associated by the priority category storage unit upon receipt of the biological state information, and set a priority order to the content candidates identified according to the category of the content candidates.

10. The information system according to claim 9, wherein the biological state information includes at least one of arousal level decrease, attention distraction, and bad health of the biological body.

11. A content start method of an in-vehicle device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input information with a voice from a voice input/output connection device, including a microphone that receives the voice from a user and a speaker that outputs a voice message to the user;

converting the received input information into text information and identifying keywords corresponding to the text information;

transmitting the input information to a predetermined external device, receiving from the external device a plurality of content candidates according to an order of a priority degree of the content candidates, and then outputting the plurality of content candidates according to the order of the priority degree;

executing, upon receipt of specification from an input device, including at least one of a touch panel and a dial switch that receives an instruction from the user, of any of the output content candidates, the content candidate;

displaying the plurality of content candidates according to the order of the priority degree;

recognizing, upon receipt of the input information with the voice, a word included in the input information as an input word, and identifying a directly related word associated with the input word and an indirectly related word associated with the directly related word, but not included in the input information with the voice, using a keyword storage unit

identifying pieces of content associated with the input word, and the directly related word and the indirectly related word using the keyword storage unit;

transmitting one or a plurality of the pieces of content to the in-vehicle device as the content candidates;

storing biological state information indicating a state of a biological body in association with a category obtained by classifying the content; and

identifying the category upon receipt of the biological state information, and setting priority order to the content identified according to the category of the content.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the biological state information includes at least one of arousal level decrease, attention distraction, and bad health of the biological body.