Information providing method for vehicle and information providing apparatus for vehicle

• US 7,038,596 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakajima, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/853,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/439, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/994, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Vehicle information indicating the conditions of a vehicle is transmitted from an on-vehicle apparatus to an information center at least before audio guidance provided by a and IVR system (interactive voice response system) begins. The IVR system at the information center determines the level of driving load on the driver (the driving load level) based upon the vehicle information having been received and adjusts the manner with which the interactive voice response is provided based upon the determined driving load level, e.g., adjusts the speed with which the automatic audio guidance for the user is output.

Claims

1. An information providing method for vehicle through which information to be provided to a user aboard a vehicle having an on-vehicle apparatus installed therein is determined through a dialogue between the user and an interactive voice response apparatus installed at an information center and information thus determined is transmitted to the on-vehicle apparatus, comprising:

transmitting vehicle information indicating conditions of the vehicle from the on-vehicle apparatus to the information center before audio guidance provided by the interactive voice response apparatus begins;

judging a driving load level indicating a level of driving load on a driver based upon the vehicle information having been received; and

changing the manner with which interactive voice response is provided to the user based upon the driving load level having been determined.

2. An information providing apparatus for vehicle comprising:

a reception device that receives vehicle information indicating conditions of a vehicle, which is transmitted from an on-vehicle apparatus;

a driving load judging device that judges a driving load level indicating a level of driving load on a driver based upon the vehicle information received at the reception device;

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

an interactive voice response device equipped with a speech recognition function, which conducts a dialogue with the user through interactive voice response via a telephone line;

an information acquisition device that obtains specific 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, wherein;

the interactive voice response device changes the manner with which interactive voice response is provided to the user based upon the driving load level judged by the driving load judging device.

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

the interactive voice response device lowers an audio output speed with which automatic audio guidance for the user is output as the driving load level becomes higher.

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

the interactive voice response device increases a length of time to elapse before speech recognition processing starts following an end of automatic audio guidance provided for the user as the driving load level becomes higher.

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

the interactive voice response device increases a length of time over which speech recognition processing is executed as the driving load level becomes higher.

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

the vehicle information includes at least one of;

vehicle position information, vehicle speed information, blinker operation information, wiper operation information, steering wheel rotation angle information, reverse information indicating that the vehicle is moving backward and light information indicating whether or not lamps are on.

7. An information providing apparatus for vehicle according to claim 6, wherein:

points are allocated to individual types of information included in the vehicle information to determine the driving load level; and

the driving load judging device judges the driving load level based upon a total of points corresponding to individual types of information included in the vehicle information transmitted from the on-vehicle apparatus.

8. An information providing apparatus for vehicle comprising:

a reception means for receiving vehicle information indicating conditions of a vehicle, which is transmitted from an on-vehicle apparatus;

a driving load judgment means for judging a driving load level indicating a level of driving load on a driver based upon the vehicle information received at the reception means;

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

an interactive voice response means, equipped with a speech recognition function, for conducting a dialogue with the user through interactive voice response via a telephone line;

an information acquisition means for obtaining specific 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, wherein;

the interactive voice response means for changing the manner with which interactive voice response is provided to the user based upon the driving load level judged by the driving load judgment means.