APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION FOR VEHICLE

• US 20090292528A1
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kameyama, Shogo
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A system is provided with a conversation support means. A conversation support means creates a conversation response, and outputs it in a sound, a character, etc. A conversation response is created in a manner that combines words by inserting a reference keyword as a leading keyword in the response sentence model prepared separately. A conversation support means retrieves the reference keyword beforehand provided in conversation support by dictionary collation from the conversation entry content made by a sound, a manual entry, etc. by a user. Furthermore, the retrieved reference keyword themselves or another reference keyword associated with the retrieved reference keyword are handled as a leading keyword. A series of user conversation contents inputted by the conversation support are accumulated as a base data for determining a user interest. The base data is analyzed to determine a user interest for providing suitable information service.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing information for vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a conversation input means which inputs conversation by an audio input or manual operation by a user on a vehicle;

a conversation support means, which is made to perform as a user'"'"'s false conversation partner, for supporting a conversation of the user, having;

a reference-keyword dictionary storage section which memorizes the reference-keyword dictionary including a plurality of reference keyword;

a reference-keyword extraction means to extract and retrieve reference keyword by comparing contents inputted in the conversation with a keyword dictionary;

a response sentence model storage section which memorizes a plurality of response sentence models with an insertion blank part which corresponds to a leading keyword, which corresponds to a retrieved reference keyword or another reference keyword associated with and linked to the retrieved reference keyword within the keyword dictionary, for leading a user'"'"'s next conversation input; and

a response sentence output means for creating and outputting a response sentence for leading the next conversation input by a user, the response sentence being created by inserting the leading keyword corresponding to the retrieved reference keyword into the insertion blank part of the response sentence model which is retrieved in an orderly manner from the response sentence model storage section at each time of input of the conversation input by a user;

a base data accumulation means for accumulating base data for determining a user interest, based on a series of conversation contents of a user inputted in response to lead of a conversation support means;

an information collection means for analyzing an object of user interest based on the contents of the base data, and for collecting service information which is matched with the analyzed object of the user interest; and

a service information output means to output the collected service information in a form of an image, audio, or those combination.

2. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 1, wherein

the conversation support means is configured as a chatterbot engine.

3. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 1, further comprising

an interest determining keyword retrieving means for retrieving and extracting interest determining keyword for determining a user interest from conversation contents, wherein

the base data accumulation means includes an interest determining keyword storage means for accumulating the extracted interest determining keyword.

4. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 3, wherein

the service information collecting means is a means for searching service information to be collected by using the interest determining keyword retrieved by the interest determining keyword retrieving means, and wherein

the apparatus further comprises:

a user interest information retrieving means which is a means for analyzing a frequency of occurrence of the interest determining keyword accumulated in the interest determining keyword storage means, and for setting higher priority for employing the interest determining keyword having high occurrence frequency when searching the service information in the service information collecting means.

5. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 4, wherein

the user interest information retrieving means has an interest determining keyword dictionary storage section which memorizes keyword dictionary covering interest determining keyword group selected beforehand, and wherein

the interest determining keyword retrieving means is a means for selectively retrieving the interest determining keyword listed on the interest determining keyword dictionary by comparing the interest determining keyword dictionary and a decomposition result of decompositioning a conversation into words.

6. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 3, wherein

the interest determining keyword dictionary is provided by the reference keyword dictionary which is used by the response sentence output means.

7. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 6, wherein

the reference keyword retrieving means in the response sentence output means is provided by the interest determining keyword retrieving means in the user interest information retrieving means.

8. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 1, wherein

the conversation support means has a conversation support base data which includes a reference keyword dictionary and a response sentence models, the conversation support base data including a plurality of base data sets each of which has different contents adapted to a predetermined conversation support scenes, and wherein

the conversation support means includes:

a conversation support scene determining means for determining scene by detecting occurrence of one of the predetermined conversation support scenes, and

a conversation support base data switching means for switching the sets of the conversation support base data in response to a determined conversation support scene.

9. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 8, wherein

the conversation support means includes:

a conversation cue phrase storage section which memorizes conversation cue phrases prepared for each of the conversation support scenes, and

a conversation cue phrase output means for reading and outputting a corresponding conversation cue phrase in response to a detection of occurrence of the conversation support scenes.

10. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 8, wherein

the conversation support scene determining means determines a start-up scene of the vehicle as the conversation support scene, and

the conversation support base data switching means switches to the set of the conversation support base data for inducing an interest object information relating to a final destination from the user.

11. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 8, wherein

the conversation support scene determining means determines a hungry scene of the user as the conversation support scene, and

the conversation support base data switching means switches to the set of the conversation support base data for inducing an interest object information relating to a meal contents from the user.

12. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 8, wherein

the conversation support scene determining means determines a fatigue scene of the user as the conversation support scene, and

the conversation support base data switching means switches to the set of the conversation support base data for inducing an interest object information relating to a resting contents from a user.

13. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 1, wherein

the conversation support means has a conversation support base data which includes a reference keyword dictionary and a response sentence models, the conversation support base data including a plurality of base data sets each of which has different contents adapted to a physical and/or mental condition of a user which is subject to applying a conversation support, and wherein

the conversation support means includes:

a user body characteristics information acquisition means for acquiring a user body characteristics information reflecting the user'"'"'s physical condition and/or mental condition,

a condition determining means for determining user'"'"'s physical condition and/or mental condition respectively based on an acquired user body characteristics information, and

a conversation support base data switching means for switching the sets of the conversation support base data in response to a determined user'"'"'s physical condition and/or mental condition.

14. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 9, wherein

the conversation support base data includes a plurality of base data sets each of which has different contents adapted to seasons, and

the conversation support base data switching means detects the present season, and chooses and uses the set of the conversation support base data corresponding to the detected season.

15. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 1, further comprising a car-navigation system, wherein

the information collection means searches and collects the destination information which suits user interesting information as service information on the car-navigation system.

16. The apparatus for providing information for vehicle claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wireless access device to the Internet website, wherein

the information collection means searches and collects the website information which suits user interesting information as service information on the Internet.