Navigation device

• US 8,618,958 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Takuya, Aoyagi, Takahisa, Mori, Yoshihiko, Omote, Asako
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/127,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/995.23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/342 Muting when some special characteristic of the signal is sensed which distinguishes it from noise, e.g. using speech detector H03G3/344, H03G3/345 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A navigation device includes a communication module 11 for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from external communication equipment, a tone signal identifying unit 42 for identifying a push tone signal sent thereto via the communication module 11 from the external communication equipment, and a voice recognition unit 41 for performing voice recognition on a voice signal sent thereto via the communication module 11 from the external communication equipment by using information identified by the tone signal identifying unit 42.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a communication module for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from external communication equipment;

a tone signal identifying unit for identifying a touch-tone signal sent thereto via said communication module from said external communication equipment, the touch-tone signal indicating a type of content of speech to be transmitted from the external communication equipment;

a voice recognition unit for performing voice recognition on an utterance in a voice signal sent thereto via said communication module from said external communication equipment by using the touch-tone signal;

a voice guidance output unit for outputting a guidance signal, said guidance signal indicating a voice guidance prompting a user of the external communication equipment to speak the utterance upon which the voice recognition is performed;

a microphone for inputting a voice signal to the navigation device; and

a processor for generating a transmission voice using the voice signal input by the microphone, the processor being configured to mix the transmission voice with the guidance signal output by the voice guidance output unit, and supply the communication module with the mixture to transmit said mixture toward the external communication equipment,

wherein the processor includes a sound volume control unit for controlling the transmission voice to reduce volume, said transmission voice being mixed with the guidance signal,

wherein the processor includes a navigation part for acquiring the result of the voice recognition by said voice recognition unit, and performing at least one of a route search and route guidance based on the acquired result, and

wherein the guidance signal outputted by said voice guidance output unit and mixed with the transmission voice indicates another voice guidance which informs said user of the external communication equipment of possible types of content of speech upon which the at least one of the route search and route guidance can be performed.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said voice guidance output unit outputs a voice signal as the guidance signal to be mixed with the transmission voice, said voice signal indicating whether or not a result of the recognition performed by the voice recognition unit is correct.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a speaker for outputting voice information indicating that the external communication equipment starts or ends a voice recognition operation.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a speaker for outputting voice from the navigation device,

wherein the voice guidance output unit is configured to output another guidance signal, said another guidance signal indicating a voice guidance for a user of the navigation device,

wherein the processor is configured to mix a reception voice received by the communication module with said another guidance signal, and output the mixture to supply the speaker with said mixture, and

wherein said sound volume control unit controls the reception voice to reduce volume, said reception voice being mixed with said another guidance signal.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor for displaying a message indicating that the external communication equipment is performing a voice recognition operation.