INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND VEHICLE-MOUNTED DEVICE

• US 20110133953A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood
• Inventors: Nagatomo, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,319,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

An information distribution system includes a roadside apparatus which transmits an utterance type provided information containing audio instruction information based on a traveling direction to be provided by the utterance type provided information. When an vehicle-mouned device receives an utterance type provided information via a communication unit from the roadside apparatus, the vehicle-mounted device outputs different utterance type provided information by an audio in accordance with the audio instruction in-formation contained in the received utterance type provided information, so that a vehicle driver can judge whether the information provided from the roadside apparatus is significant information.

Claims

1. An information distribution system comprising a roadside apparatus for transmitting provided information to a vehicle and a vehicle-mounted device for performing wireless communication with the roadside apparatus the vehicle-mounted device comprising:

a reception unit configured to perform wireless communication with the roadside apparatus to receive the provided information;

an operation unit configured to prohibit an audio output of a speech signal or release the prohibition of the audio output;

a first storage unit configured to store setting information when audibly outputting the speech signal in response to audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit;

a second storage unit configured to store utterance prohibition information to be used to prohibit of the audio output instructed by the operation unit;

a control unit configured to execute control so as to audibly output the provided information; and

an audio output unit configured to audibly output a speech signal,

wherein the control unit has judgment means for judging whether the audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit coincides with the utterance prohibition information stored in the second storage unit and release means for releasing the utterance prohibition if it is judged by the judgment means that the audio instruction information coincides with the utterance prohibition information and the release of the utterance prohibition is instructed by the operation unit.

2. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein if the release of the utterance prohibition is instructed within a predetermined time period after the judgment means judges the coincidence, the control unit executes the control so as to audibly output the speech signal in response to the audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit.

3. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the setting information is at least one of a talker of a pitch of the provided information, and if the at least one of the talker and the pitch of the audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit is different from the setting information stored in the first storage unit, the control unit changes the setting information.

4. A vehicle-mounted device comprising:

a reception unit configured to perform wireless communication with a roadside apparatus to receive provided information;

an operation unit configured to prohibit an audio output of a speech signal or release the prohibition of the audio output;

a first storage unit configured to store setting information when audibly outputting the speech signal in response to audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit;

a second storage unit configured to store utterance prohibition information to be used to prohibit the utterance of the audio instruction information by the operation unit;

a control unit configured to cause the provided information to be audibly outputted; and

an audio output unit configured to audibly output,

wherein the control unit has judgment means for judging whether the audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit coincides with the utterance prohibition information stored in the second storage unit and release means for releasing the utterance prohibition if it is judged by the judgment means that the audio instruction information coincides with the utterance prohibition information and the release of the utterance prohibition is instructed by the operation unit.

5. The information distribution system according to claim 4, wherein if the release of the utterance prohibition is instructed within a predetermined time period after the judgment means judges the coincidence, the control unit executes the control so as to audibly output the speech signal in response to the audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit.

6. The information distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the setting information is at least one of a talker of a pitch of the provided information, and if the at least one of the talker and the pitch of the audio instruction information included in the provided information received by the reception unit is different from the setting information stored in the first storage unit, the control unit changes the setting information.