Vehicle-mounted voice recognition and guidance apparatus

• US 8,315,868 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexgen Control Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sumiyoshi, Yuki, Suzuki, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N
• Application Number:
  US12/516,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 704/246
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus including a voice input unit for acquiring an inputted voice, a voice recognition unit for performing voice recognition on the acquired inputted voice, a guidance information output unit for providing a guidance on the basis of the result of the voice recognition, and a recognized word understanding degree determining unit for determining a user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words to the guidance according to the number of timeout times that a timeout has occurred in the user'"'"'s operation which is monitored while the voice recognition unit performs the voice recognition, and the number of correction times that a correction has been made to the user'"'"'s operation, so as to change the guidance provided by the guidance information output unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus comprising:

a voice input unit for acquiring an inputted voice;

a voice recognition unit for performing voice recognition on said acquired inputted voice;

a guidance information output unit for providing a guidance on a basis of a result of said voice recognition; and

a guidance description determining unit for determining a user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words to said guidance according to a number of timeout times that a timeout has occurred in a user'"'"'s operation which is monitored while said voice recognition unit performs the voice recognition, a number of correction times that a correction has been made to the user'"'"'s operation, or both of the number of timeout times and the number of correction times so as to change said guidance.

2. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus has a key pushdown determining unit for determining a key pushdown pressure when an input for correction is made through a key operation, and said recognized word understanding degree determining unit reflects the key pushdown pressure or a pushdown time outputted from said key pushdown determining unit in the determination of the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words to the voice guidance.

3. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus has a traveling status determining unit for determining traveling conditions of a vehicle from a signal detected by a sensor, and said recognized word understanding degree determining unit reflects the traveling conditions of the vehicle outputted from said traveling status determining unit in the determination of the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words to the voice guidance.

4. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus has a driving operation status determining unit for determining a vehicle driving operation status from a signal detected by a sensor, and said recognized word understanding degree determining unit reflects the vehicle driving operation status outputted from said driving operation status determining unit reflect in the determination of the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words to the voice guidance.

5. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus has a user state determining unit for determining the user'"'"'s state of mind from a signal detected by a sensor, and said recognized word understanding degree determining unit reflects the user'"'"'s state of mind outputted from said user state determining unit reflect in the determination of the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words to the voice guidance.

6. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guidance information output unit changes said guidance according to the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words which is determined by said recognized word understanding degree determining unit.

7. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guidance information output unit sets a speed at which to provide said voice guidance to be variable according to the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words which is determined by said recognized word understanding degree determining unit.

8. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guidance information output unit notifies a start of said guidance by sound, display, or both of them according to the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words which is determined by said recognized word understanding degree determining unit.

9. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guidance information output unit sets a sound volume of a portion showing words to be uttered included in said voice guidance to be variable on a basis of the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words which is determined by said recognized word understanding degree determining unit.

10. The vehicle-mounted voice recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guidance information output unit changes a display form in which said guidance information output unit displays the guidance to a screen on a basis of the user'"'"'s degree of understanding of recognized words which is determined by said recognized word understanding degree determining unit.