Interrupt control apparatus and interrupt control method

• US 8,751,717 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyake, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Spittle, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US13/474,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 340/500, 710/260, 710/264
• US Class Current: 710/264
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

An interrupt control apparatus and interrupt control method reduce situations in which the output of interrupt information is suspended and thus reduce stress caused in a user, without missing the appropriate output timing for interrupt information having a high priority level. A priority level setting unit raises the value of a priority level for an interrupt voice message during a period in which the interrupt voice message is being outputted, and a voice output control unit, when interrupts from two or more overlapping interrupt voice messages occurs, carries out control in accordance with priority levels set for each of the two or more interrupt voice messages so that the interrupt voice message having the higher priority level value is preferentially outputted.

Claims

1. An interrupt control apparatus comprising:

a priority level setting unit that sets a priority level for each of multiple pieces of interrupt information; and

a information output control unit that, when interrupts from two or more overlapping pieces of interrupt information have occurred, carries out control in accordance with the priority levels set by the priority level setting unit for the two or more pieces of interrupt information so that the interrupt information having the higher priority level value is outputted preferentially,

wherein the priority level setting unit sets the priority level of at least one of the multiple pieces of interrupt information to be variable so that the value of the priority level linearly increases during a period from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends.

2. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the priority level setting unit raises the value of the priority level linearly during a period that starts partway through the period extending from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends, and ends when the output of the interrupt information ends.

3. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a rise start time when the value of the priority level begins to be raised from partway through the stated period is a time that is a first predetermined amount of time prior to a speech end time when the output of the interrupt information ends.

4. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the priority level setting unit raises the value of the priority level linearly during a period that extends between when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends.

5. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the output of the interrupt information starts, the priority level setting unit sets an initial value for the priority level in accordance with the type of the interrupt information, and sets the priority level to be variable so that the value rises from the initial value during the period spanning until the output of the interrupt information ends.

6. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the case where an interrupt of another interrupt information occurs during the output of interrupt information, the information output control unit carries out control so that the output of the interrupt information being outputted is continued in the case where the value of the priority level set for the interrupt information being outputted is greater than or equal to the value of the priority level set as the initial value for the other interrupt information.

7. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during a period spanning from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends, the priority level setting unit raises the priority level so that the value increases toward the end of the output of the interrupt information, and reduces the value of the priority level at a time that is a second predetermined amount of time prior to a speech end time when the output of the interrupt information ends.

8. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in the case where during a period from prior to the second predetermined amount of time up to the end of the output of the interrupt information, an interrupt of another interrupt information that is set to a higher priority level than the priority level set for the interrupt information being outputted occurs, the information output control unit carries out control so that the output of the interrupt information being outputted is suspended and the other interrupt information is outputted, and carries out control so that the interrupt information being outputted is not outputted once again after the output of the other interrupt information has ended.

9. An interrupt control method comprising:

a first step of, when an interrupt resulting from interrupt information occurs, a computer in an interrupt control apparatus setting an initial value of a priority level for the interrupt information;

a second step of the computer outputting the interrupt information;

a third step of setting the priority level in a variable manner so that the value of the initial value rises during a period spanning from after the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends;

a fourth step of, when an interrupt resulting from another interrupt information occurs after the output of the interrupt information starts, the computer setting the priority level for the other interrupt information to an initial value; and

a fifth step of the computer comparing the value of the priority level set for the interrupt information in the third step with the initial value of the priority level set for the other interrupt information in the fourth step and carrying out control so that the interrupt information having the higher priority level value is preferentially outputted;

wherein during a period spanning from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends, the priority level is raised so that the value increases toward the end of the output of the interrupt information, and the value of the priority level is reduced at a time that is a second predetermined amount of time prior to a speech end time when the output of the interrupt information ends.

10. The interrupt control method according to claim 9, wherein in the third step the value of the priority level is raised linearly during a period that starts partway through the period extending from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends.

11. The interrupt control method according to claim 10, wherein a rise start time when the value of the priority level begins to be raised from partway through the stated period is a time that is a first predetermined amount of time prior to a speech end time when the output of the interrupt information ends.

12. The interrupt control method according to claim 9, wherein in the third step the value of the priority level is raised in steps during a period that starts partway through the period extending from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends.

13. The interrupt control method according to claim 9, wherein in the third step the value of the priority level is raised linearly during a period that extends between when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the value of the priority level is reduced.

14. The interrupt control method according to claim 9, wherein when the output of the interrupt information starts, an initial value for the priority level is set in accordance with the type of the interrupt information, and the priority level is set to be variable so that the value rises from the initial value during the period spanning until the output of the interrupt information ends.

15. The interrupt control method according to claim 14, wherein in the case where an interrupt of another interrupt information occurs during the output of interrupt information, the output of the interrupt information being outputted is continued in the case where the value of the priority level set for the interrupt information being outputted is greater than or equal to the value of the priority level set as the initial value for the other interrupt information.

16. The interrupt control method according to claim 9, wherein in the case where during a period from prior to the second predetermined amount of time up to the end of the output of the interrupt information, an interrupt of another interrupt information that is set to a higher priority level than the priority level set for the interrupt information being outputted occurs, the output of the interrupt information being outputted is suspended and the other interrupt information is outputted, and the interrupt information being outputted is not outputted once again after the output of the other interrupt information has ended.

17. An interrupt control apparatus comprising:

a priority level setting unit that sets a priority level for each of multiple pieces of interrupt information; and

a information output control unit that, when interrupts from two or more overlapping pieces of interrupt information have occurred, carries out control in accordance with the priority levels set by the priority level setting unit for the two or more pieces of interrupt information so that the interrupt information having the higher priority level value is outputted preferentially,

wherein the priority level setting unit sets the priority level of at least one of the multiple pieces of interrupt information to be variable so that the value of the priority level increases during a period from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends, and

wherein during a period spanning from when the output of the interrupt information starts to when the output of the interrupt information ends, the priority level setting unit raises the priority level so that the value increases toward the end of the output of the interrupt information, and reduces the value of the priority level at a time that is a second predetermined amount of time prior to a speech end time when the output of the interrupt information ends.

18. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein in the case where during a period from prior to the second predetermined amount of time up to the end of the output of the interrupt information, an interrupt of another interrupt information that is set to a higher priority level than the priority level set for the interrupt information being outputted occurs, the information output control unit carries out control so that the output of the interrupt information being outputted is suspended and the other interrupt information is outputted, and carries out control so that the interrupt information being outputted is not outputted once again after the output of the other interrupt information has ended.