Method For Operating A Navigation Device

• US 20090143982A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Katzer, Jochen, Kahlow, Matthias, Schmidt, Thorsten W.
• Application Number:
  US12/277,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143982A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• 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: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A method for operating a navigation device that includes an input device for inputting operator commands and/or locations, particularly starting points and/or destinations, a road network database, a route calculation unit for calculating a planned route with consideration of the locations and the road network database, wherein the route leads from the starting point to the destination, a signal receiving unit for receiving position signals, particularly GPS signals, a position determining unit that determines the current position based on the position signals, and a voice output module that is able to generate and acoustically output a voice message, particularly maneuvering instructions, in dependence on predetermined boundary conditions by combining at least two voice message elements, wherein the voice message elements to be combined are analyzed prior to the acoustic output of the voice message, and wherein the voice message is changed in accordance with predetermined prioritization rules depending on the result of the analysis.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation device including

an input device for inputting operator commands and/or locations, particularly starting points and/or destinations,

a road network database,

a route calculation unit for calculating a planned route with consideration of the locations and the road network database, wherein the route leads from the starting point to the destination,

a signal receiving unit for receiving position signals, particularly GPS signals,

a position determining unit that determines the current position based on the position signals, and

a voice output module that is able to generate and acoustically output a voice message, particularly maneuvering instructions, in dependence on predetermined boundary conditions by combining at least two voice message elements,

said method comprising:

analyzing the voice message elements to be combined prior to acoustically outputting the voice message, wherein the voice message is changed in accordance with predetermined prioritization rules depending on the result of the analysis.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which a prioritization parameter is assigned to at least one voice message element, wherein the prioritization parameters of the voice message elements to be combined are analyzed prior to the acoustic output of the voice message, and wherein the voice message is changed in accordance with predetermined prioritization rules depending on the prioritization parameters.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one voice message element is deleted from the voice message in order to change the voice message.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one voice message element in the voice message is replaced with another voice message element, particularly a shorter voice message element, in order to change the voice message.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one voice message element in the voice message is changed in order to change the voice message.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one prioritization rule contains a user adjustment that is stored in the navigation device and can be changed by the user, wherein the voice message is changed depending on the user adjustment.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one prioritization rule contains a manufacturer adjustment that is stored in the navigation device and cannot be changed by the user, wherein the voice message is changed depending on the manufacturer adjustment of the process parameter.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one prioritization rule contains a process parameter of the navigation device, wherein the voice message is changed depending on this process parameter.

9. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one voice message element is assigned to a certain output position, particularly a position-related maneuvering announcement, wherein the remaining driving time required for driving from the current position to the output position of the voice message element is predicted and forwarded to the voice output module in the form of a process parameter in order to change the voice message.

10. The method according to claim 9, in which the remaining driving time is compared with the output time required for the acoustic output of the voice message or with the output times required for the acoustic output of the individual voice message elements and the voice message is changed depending on the result of the comparison.

11. The method according to claim 9, in which the output time required for the acoustic output of the voice message or the output times required for the acoustic output of the individual voice message elements are stored in the form of an inaudible part of the voice message.

12. The method according to claim 9, in which quantified prioritization values, particularly discrete priority stages, are used as prioritization parameters, wherein a comparison between the significances of the prioritization values of the voice message elements is carried out when the prioritization values are analyzed.

13. The method according to claim 12, in which all voice message elements to be currently output are intermediately stored in an intermediate memory, wherein individual voice message elements are deleted from the intermediate memory or the sequence of the acoustic output of the voice message elements intermediately stored in the intermediate memory is changed depending on the respective prioritization value.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which the prioritization parameters of all voice message elements stored in the intermediate memory are automatically analyzed each time a new voice message element is intermediately stored.

15. The method according to claim 1, in which a zero prioritization value is assigned to individual voice message elements in order to suppress the acoustic output of these voice message elements.

16. The method according to claim 15, in which the acoustic output of optional voice message elements such as, for example, street names, is suppressed by means of a user adjustment, namely by assigning the zero prioritization value to these optional voice message elements depending on the user adjustment.

17. The method according to claim 15, in which the acoustic output of voice message elements is synthesized in a voice synthesis module that is assigned to a certain national language, wherein the zero prioritization value is assigned to voice message elements that are assigned to another national language.