Facility output system, facility output method, and facility output program

• US 10,378,910 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Goshi, Yuhei, Nagase, Kenji, Nakamura, Motohiro, Kodan, Tomoki, Kato, Yoshitaka, Ikeno, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US15/310,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 701427
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• 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 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

Facility output systems, methods, and programs specify a purpose for which a user utilizes a facility, based on information input by the user and a facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved, based on stored purpose information. The stored purpose information includes facility type and the purpose that is achievable by using the facility type. The systems, methods, and programs specify a common facility type that is common to a facility type specified for a first purpose; and one of a facility type specified for a second purpose that is different from the first purpose and a facility type specified differently from the specified facility type that enables the purpose to be achieved. The systems, methods, and programs specify the facility corresponding to the specified common facility type based on stored facility information including the specified facility type and information for specifying the facility.

Claims

1. A facility output system comprising:

a memory that stores;

purpose information constituted by associating one or more facility types with each of a plurality of purposes that are achievable at the facility type; and

facility information constituted by associating each facility type with a plurality of corresponding facilities; and

a processor programmed to;

receive first information input by a user specifying a purpose for which the user intends to utilize the facility to be output;

specify a first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved based on the stored purpose information;

specify a second facility type, that is different form the first facility type based on second information input by the user;

perform location integration by;

determining whether the specified purpose can be achieved at the specified second facility type based on the stored purpose information;

if the specified purpose can be achieved at the second facility type, designating the second facility type as a common facility type; and

specifying a facility corresponding to the specified common facility type on the basis of the stored facility information; and

output the specified facility as a target for vehicle navigation.

2. The facility output system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

designate the common facility type and specify the facility such that a number of facilities to be output is minimized.

3. The facility output system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

determine a first navigation route starting at a departure location and including a facility corresponding to the first facility type and a facility corresponding to the second facility type based on the facility information;

determine a second navigation route starting at the departure location and including a facility corresponding to the specified common facility type;

calculate a time required for the first navigation route and a time required for the second navigation route; and

specify the common facility type and specify the facility such that the time required for the second route is shorter than the time required for the first route.

4. The facility output system according to claim 1, wherein:

the memory stores, as the purpose, a purpose object and a purpose action in association with each other; and

the processor is programmed to;

specify the purpose object and the purpose action from the first information input by the user; and

specify the first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved, by specifying the first facility type corresponding to the specified purpose object and the specified purpose action.

5. The facility output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

8. The facility output system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is programmed to:

determine a first navigation route starting at a departure location and including a facility corresponding to the first facility type and a facility corresponding to the second facility type based on the facility information;

determine a second navigation route starting at the departure location and including a facility corresponding to the specified common facility type;

calculate a time required for the first navigation route and a time required for the second navigation route; and

specify the common facility type and specify the facility such that the time required for the second route is shorter than the time required for the first route.

9. The facility output system according to claim 2, wherein:

the memory stores, as the purpose, a purpose object and a purpose action in association with each other; and

the processor is programmed to;

specify the purpose object and the purpose action from the first information input by the user; and

specify the first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved, by specifying the first facility type corresponding to the specified purpose object and the specified purpose action.

10. The facility output system according to claim 3, wherein:

the memory stores, as the purpose, a purpose object and a purpose action in association with each other; and

the processor is programmed to;

specify the purpose object and the purpose action from the first information input by the user; and

specify the first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved, by specifying the first facility type corresponding to the specified purpose object and the specified purpose action.

11. The facility output system according to claim 8, wherein:

the memory stores, as the purpose, a purpose object and a purpose action in association with each other; and

the processor is programmed to;

specify the purpose object and the purpose action from the first information input by the user; and

specify the first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved, by specifying the first facility type corresponding to the specified purpose object and the specified purpose action.

12. The facility output system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

13. The facility output system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

14. The facility output system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

15. The facility output system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

16. The facility output system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

17. The facility output system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

18. The facility output system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an input of voice information by the user;

wherein the processor is programmed to specify the purpose on the basis of the received voice information.

6. A facility output method comprising:

receiving first information input by a user specifying a purpose for which the user intends to utilize the facility to be output;

specifying a first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved based on purpose information stored in a memory and constituted by associating one or more facility types with each of a plurality of purposes that are achievable at the facility type;

specifying a second facility type, that is different form the first facility type based on second information input by the user;

performing location integration by;

determining whether the specified purpose can be achieved at the specified second facility type based on the stored purpose information;

if the specified purpose can be achieved at the second facility type, designating the second facility type as a common facility type; and

specifying a facility corresponding to the specified common facility type on the basis of facility information stored in the memory and constituted by associating each facility type with a plurality of corresponding facilities; and

outputting the specified facility as a target for vehicle navigation.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable facility output program that causes a computer to execute the following functions:

receiving first information input by a user specifying a purpose for which the user intends to utilize the facility to be output;

specifying a first facility type that enables the specified purpose to be achieved based on purpose information stored in a memory and constituted by associating one or more facility types with each of a plurality of purposes that are achievable at the facility type;

specifying a second facility type, that is different form the first facility type based on second information input by the user;

performing location integration by;

determining whether the specified purpose can be achieved at the specified second facility type based on the stored purpose information;

if the specified purpose can be achieved at the second facility type, designating the second facility type as a common facility type; and

specifying a facility corresponding to the specified common facility type on the basis of facility information stored in the memory and constituted by associating each facility type with a plurality of corresponding facilities; and

outputting the specified facility as a target for vehicle navigation.