Information providing method for vehicle and information providing apparatus for vehicle

• US 20040243300A1
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakajima, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

A user aboard a vehicle having installed therein an on-vehicle apparatus originates a call to an information center to indicate the specific type of information the user wishes to receive by following audio guidance provided by an interactive voice response device installed at the information center. The information center prepares the information desired by the user and transmits the information to the on-vehicle apparatus. In this vehicle information providing method, the contents of the audio guidance provided by the interactive voice response device are edited for each user based upon information pre-registered by the user.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus for vehicle comprising;

an information storage device in which a plurality of different types of information to be provided to a user aboard a vehicle having an on-vehicle apparatus installed therein are stored;

an interactive voice response device having a speech recognition function that provides audio guidance edited for each user and engages in a dialogue with the user through automatic voice response via a telephone line;

an information acquisition device that obtains information determined based upon the dialogue between the user and the interactive voice response device from the information storage device; and

an information transmission device that transmits the information obtained by the information acquisition device to the on-vehicle apparatus.

2. An information providing apparatus for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the interactive voice response device provides audio guidance edited based upon information pre-registered by the user.

3. An information providing apparatus for vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

when providing audio guidance to prompt the user to specify a desired type of information, the interactive voice response device first provides audio guidance to prompt the user to specify whether or not the user wishes to receive a pre-registered type of information.

4. An information providing apparatus for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the interactive voice response device tabulates information provided to a given user in the past and provides audio guidance customized for the user based upon tabulation results.

5. An information providing apparatus for vehicle according to claim 4, wherein:

the interactive voice response device provides audio guidance customized for each user by using a type of information most frequently provided to the user among different types of information previously provided to the user.

6. An information providing apparatus for vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising;

a dialog contents storage device in which contents of a dialogue conducted between the user and the interactive voice response device when providing information to the user are stored, wherein;

the dialog contents stored in the dialogue contents storage device are indicated to the user.

7. An information providing apparatus for vehicle comprising;

an information storage means for storing a plurality of different types of information to be provided to a user aboard a vehicle having an on-vehicle apparatus installed therein;

an interactive voice response means, equipped with a speech recognition function, for providing audio guidance edited for each user and engaging in a dialogue with the user through automatic voice response via a telephone line;

an information acquisition means for obtaining information determined based upon the dialogue between the user and the interactive voice response means from the information storage means; and

an information transmission means for transmitting the information obtained by the information acquisition means to the on-vehicle apparatus.

8. An information providing method for vehicle comprising:

verifying a user aboard a vehicle having an on-vehicle apparatus installed therein who has called to an information center;

providing an audio guidance which is edited for each user by an interactive voice response apparatus installed at the information center;

determining information desired by the user based upon a dialogue between the user and the interactive voice response apparatus; and

transmitting the determined information to the on-vehicle apparatus.