System for providing translated information to a driver of a vehicle

• US 7,386,437 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brulle-Drews, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Vijay B
• Application Number:
  US10/917,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 704/3, 704/7, 704/8, 704/270, 704/275, 704/276
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation

Abstract

A vehicle mounted translation system for providing language translation to a driver of a vehicle. The translation system may be associated with a vehicle navigation system. The translation system includes a translation device and a storage unit for storing language and translation information. The system further includes the ability to enter information to be translated into the system, data processing for retrieving a translation from storage based on the input of the first information, and the ability to provide the retrieved translation to the driver. Output of the translated information may be accomplished by, speech-to-speech and/or text-to-speech conversion of words and/or a text or image output to a visual display.

Claims

1. A system for providing translated information to a driver of a vehicle having a navigation system, comprising:

an information input unit for entering first information comprising a first language comprising at least one camera and a pattern recognition unit;

a translation unit for translating the first information into second information comprising a second language;

a data storage unit for storing the first information and the second information;

a data processing unit for retrieving the second information from the data storage unit, and

an information output unit for transmitting the second information to the driver,

at least one position determination unit for determining the current position of the vehicle and a current position of a sign;

where the translation unit comprises an automatic setting of the input language based on the current position of the vehicle;

where the at least one position determination unit detects whether the sign is located on the current route of the vehicle and translates the sign only if the sign is located on the current route of the vehicle; and

where the system is mounted in the vehicle and associated with the navigation system of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, where the first information comprises words of the first language and the second information comprises words of the second language.

3. The system of claim 2, where the translation unit provides a context related translation of a phrase or a sentence of the first language into a phrase or a sentence of the second language.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sign recognition module.

5. The system of claim 4, comprising recognition and translation of an informational sign.

6. The system of claim 4, where the output unit provides an audio description of the meaning of the sign.

7. The system of claim 4, where the output unit provides a visual depiction of the meaning of the sign.

8. The system of claim 7, where the visual depiction comprises text.

9. The system of claim 7, where the visual depiction comprises symbols.

10. The system of claim 7, where the visual depiction comprises a comparable sign of the driver'"'"'s home country.

11. The system of claim 1, where the output unit provides text-to-speech conversion.

12. The system of claim 1, where the input device comprises a microphone and a speech recognition unit associated with the microphone.

13. The system of claim 1, where the input device is selected from the group consisting of a joystick, keyboard, shaft encoder, touch pad, touch screen, and any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, where the input unit receives information from a source external to the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, where the source external to the vehicle comprises a radio broadcast.

16. The system of claim 14, where the source external to the vehicle comprises the Internet.

17. The system of claim 1, where the camera is selected from the group consisting of digital photo cameras, video cameras, or a combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 1, where the pattern recognition unit provides recognition of an informational sign.

19. The system of claim 1, where the pattern recognition unit provides text recognition.

20. The system of claim 1, where the pattern recognition unit includes a storage unit for storing image elements of a plurality of signs.

21. The system of claim 1, where the position determination unit comprises GPS.

22. The system of claim 1, where the pattern recognition unit provides identification of the position of the sign with reference to the position of the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio receiver for receiving traffic and/or travel announcements in the first language.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a telematic unit for receiving words of the first language.

25. The system of claim 1, where the system is integral to a navigation system of the vehicle.

26. A method for providing a language translation to a driver of a vehicle having an on-board computer system, comprising;

providing a navigation system associated with the computer system;

providing a translation system associated with the computer system;

detecting the current position of the vehicle;

automatically selecting the first language based on the currently position of the Vehicle;

entering first information comprising a first language into the translation system;

performing a speech recognition analysis of the first information;

translating the first language into a second language; and

providing the translated information to the driver of the vehicle.

27. A method for providing a language translation to a driver of a vehicle having an on-board computer system, comprising;

providing a navigation system associated with the computer system;

providing a translation system associated with the computer system of the vehicle;

receiving information comprising a first language from a source external to the vehicle;

entering information comprising the first language into the translation system;

detecting the current position of the vehicle;

automatically selecting the first language based on the currently position of the vehicle;

performing a speech recognition analysis of the first information;

translating the first language into a second language; and

providing the translated information to the driver of the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 27, where the external source is a radio broadcast.

29. The method of claim 27, where the external source is the Internet.

30. A method of providing translated information relating to the meaning of informational travel or traffic signs to a driver of a vehicle having an on-board computer system, comprising:

providing a navigation system associated with the computer system;

providing a translation system associated with the computer system of the vehicle;

monitoring the area in the vicinity of the vehicle with at least one video camera;

continuously performing pattern recognition analysis of at least one image taken by the video camera;

detecting the position of the vehicle;

determining a driving route of the vehicle;

automatically identifying an input language based on the position of the vehicle,

associated with the position of the vehicle

detecting at least one informational sign by pattern recognition analysis;

detecting a position of an informational sign relative to the position of the vehicle;

determining the absolute position of the sign from the position of the vehicle and the relative position of the sign;

comparing the position of the sign and the position data of the location of the vehicle;

determining that the sign is located on the route of the vehicle;

performing a translation of the sign if the sign is located on the route of the vehicle when the sign is located within a predetermined distance from the location of the vehicle; and

providing the translation to the driver.

31. The method of claim 30 where the output comprises an audio translation of the meaning of the detected sign.

32. The method of claim 30 where the output comprises a textual translation of the meaning of the detected sign.

33. The method of claim 30 where the output comprises an image of a symbol or sign from the driver'"'"'s home country corresponding to the meaning of the detected sign.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising performing text recognition analysis of the image of the sign.