Device mounted in vehicle

• US 6,249,720 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Inventors: Adachi, Kazuhide, Mukai, Kouji, Hori, Koji, Kubota, Tomoki, Mazda, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/119,238
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/211, 701/96, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• 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

Abstract

A device is mounted in a vehicle which allows one or more of personified agent or imaginary living body to appear before a driver or passengers in the vehicle for communication therewith. A current status sensor (40) detects predetermined vehicle current status data, and a memory (292, 293) stores study data in response to entry of the latest current status data. One of a plurality of communication programs stored in a program table (291) may be selected in accordance with the current status data and/or the study data. An agent control unit (11) controls activity of the agent in accordance with the selected communication program. The determined agent activity is outputted through a display (27) and a speaker (25) for communication with the driver.

Claims

1. A guidance device for mounting in a vehicle, said guidance device comprising:

first sensor means for detecting vehicle conditions;

communication program storage means containing, stored therein, a plurality of different communication programs individually correlated with the vehicle conditions, each of said communication programs synthesizing at least one personified agent and providing communication between the personified agent and a user in the vehicle by at least one of voice and action;

study data storing means for storing study data indicating the number of times said first sensor means detects the same vehicle condition;

communication program select means for selecting one of said communication programs stored in said communication program storing means in accordance with said study data stored in said study data storing means;

agent control means for controlling said at least one of voice and action of said personified agent in accordance with said communication program selected by said communication program selecting means; and

agent output means for outputting at least one of said agent'"'"'s voice and action determined by said agent control means.

2. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said first sensor means detects at least one vehicle condition selected from the group consisting of a current vehicle position, a current vehicle speed, a current shift position, blinker operation, wiper operation, a coolant temperature, an engine oil temperature, an engine oil pressure, a passenger compartment, an ambient air temperature, ignition switch operation, a brake pedal depressing stroke, an accelerator pedal depressing stroke, hand brake operation, horn operation, belt loosening, a fuel remainder, light or lamp operation, seat belt operation, door opening, window opening, ABS operation, air-conditioner operation, distance to the preceding and succeeding vehicles and decrease in tire, air pressure.

3. a guidance device according to claim 1 wherein user-related data describing a specific user is included in said vehicle conditions detected by said first sensor means.

4. A guidance device according to claim 1 further comprising second sensor means for detecting user'"'"'s response to the agent'"'"'s voice and action output by said agent output means, and response storing means for storing user'"'"'s response data detected by said second sensor means.

5. A guidance device according to claim 4 wherein said study data in said study data storing means is renewed in response to entry of the latest user'"'"'s response data in said response storing means.

6. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said agent output means comprises at least one of display means and speaker means.

7. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said agent output means includes speaker means for outputting one of multiple voice patterns of the personified agent, said one voice pattern being selectively determined by said agent control means.

8. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said agent output means includes display means for displaying the personified agent as an animated subject in accordance with one of multiple appearance patterns for said animated subject said one appearance pattern being selectively determined by said agent control means.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said animated subject is a pictorial representation of a human, animal or robot.

10. A guidance device according to claim 8 wherein said animated subject is a human caricature.

11. A guidance device according to claim 1 further comprising agent'"'"'s character select means for determining a specific character for said personified agent from among a plurality of different characters, said agent control means determining at least one of the agent'"'"'s voice and action in consideration of the agent'"'"'s character determined by said agent'"'"'s character select means.

12. A guidance device according to claim 1 further comprising familiarity storing means for storing data indicating user'"'"'s familiarity with agent operation of the guidance device, said agent control means determining at least one of the agent'"'"'s voice and action in consideration of the agent'"'"'s familiarity stored in said familiarity storing means.

13. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said communication programs synthesize a plurality of different personified agents.

14. A guidance device according to claim 13 further comprising an agent data memory containing user-related information including identification of one of said personified agents as a favorite of the user.

15. A guidance device according to claim 1 further comprising sub-agent storing means for storing sub-agent programs, one of said sub-agent programs being selected in correspondence to a specific communication program stored in said communication program storing means so that a sub-agent of the selected sub-agent program is output by said agent output means together with said personified agent output by execution of said selected communication program.

16. A guidance device according to claim 15 wherein said sub-agent explains the activity of said personified agent.

17. A guidance device according to claim 15 wherein said sub-agent allows short-cut of operation executed by said selected communication program for said personified agent.

18. A guidance device according to claim 15 wherein said one sub-agent program becomes operative when data indicating user'"'"'s familiarity with operation of the guidance device is greater than a predetermined critical value.

19. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said agent output means at least includes display means, a background of said display means being selectively determined so that said personified agent appears on said display means together with the selected background.

20. A guidance device according to claim 1 wherein said communication program store din said communication program storing means include suggestion programs by which said personified agent makes some suggestion to the user.

21. A guidance device for mounting in a vehicle, said guidance device comprising:

first sensor means for detecting vehicle conditions;

communication program storage means containing, stored therein, a plurality of different communication programs individually correlated with the vehicle conditions, each of said communication programs synthesizing at least one personified agent and providing communication from the personified agent to a user in the vehicle by voice and action of the personified agent;

study data storing means for storing study data indicating the number of times said first sensor means detects the same vehicle condition;

communication program select means for selecting one of said communication programs stored in said communication program storing means, in accordance with said study data stored in said study data storing means;

agent control means for controlling voice and action of said personified agent in accordance with said communication program selected by said communication program selecting means; and

agent output means for outputting said personified agent'"'"'s voice and action determined by said agent control means, said output means comprising display means for displaying the personified agent animated to show the action as controlled by said agent output control means and speaker means through which a voice for the personified agent is output as controlled by the agent output control means.

22. A guidance device according to claim 21 wherein said first sensor means detects at least one vehicle condition selected from the group consisting of a current vehicle position, a current vehicle speed, a current shift position, blinker operation, wiper operation, a coolant temperature, an engine oil temperature, an engine oil pressure, a passenger compartment temperature, an ambient air temperature, ignition switch operation, a brake pedal depressing stroke, an accelerator pedal depressing stroke, hand brake operation, horn operation, belt loosening, a fuel remainder, light or lamp operation, seat belt operation, door opening, window opening, ABS operation, air-conditioner operation, distance to the preceding and succeeding vehicles and decrease in tire air pressure.

23. A guidance device according to claim 21 wherein user-related data describing a specific user is included in said vehicle conditions detected by said first sensor means.

24. A guidance device according to claim 21 further comprising second sensor means for detecting user'"'"'s response to the agent'"'"'s voice and action output by said agent output means, and response storing means for storing user'"'"'s response data detected by said second senor means.

25. A guidance device according to claim 21 wherein said study data in said study data storing means is renewed in response to entry of the latest user'"'"'s response data in said response storing means.

26. A guidance device according to claim 21 further comprising agent'"'"'s character select means for determining a specific character to be given to said personified agent, said agent control means determining the agent'"'"'s activity in consideration of the agent'"'"'s character determined by said agent'"'"'s character select means.

27. A guidance device according to claim 21 further comprising familiarity storing means for storing data indicating user'"'"'s familiarity with agent operation of the guidance device, said agent control means determining at least one of the agent'"'"'s voice and action in consideration of the agent'"'"'s familiarity stored in said familiarity storing means.

28. A guidance device according to claim 21 wherein said communication programs synthesize a plurality of different personified agents.

29. A guidance device according to claim 21 further comprising sub-agent storing means for storing sub-agent programs, one of said sub-agent programs being selected in correspondence to a specific communication program stored in said communication program storing means so that a sub-agent of the selected sub-agent program is output by said agent output means together with said personified agent output by execution of said selected communication program.

30. A guidance device according to claim 29 wherein said sub-agent explains the activity of said personified agent.

31. A guidance device according to claim 29 wherein said sub-agent allows short-cut of operation executed by said selected communication program for said personified agent.

32. A guidance device according to claim 29 wherein said sub-agent program becomes operative when data indicating user'"'"'s familiarity with operation of the guidance device is greater than a predetermined critical value.

33. A guidance device according to claim 21 wherein said agent output means at least includes display means, a background of said display means being selectively determined so that said personified agent appears on said display means together with the selected background.

34. A guidance device according to claim 21 wherein said communication program stored in said communication program storing means include suggestion programs by which said personified agent makes some suggestion to the user.

35. A guidance device for mounting in a vehicle, said guidance device comprising:

first sensor means for detecting vehicle conditions;

communication program storage means containing, stored therein, a plurality of different communication programs individually correlated with the vehicle conditions, each of said communication programs synthesizing at least one personified agent and providing communication between the personified agent to a user in the vehicle, including communication from the personified agent to the user by action of the personified agent;

communication program select means for selecting one of said communication programs stored in said communication program storing means, in accordance with at least one of the detected vehicle conditions;

agent control means for controlling the action of said personified agent in accordance with said communication program selected by said communication program selecting means; and

display mans for displaying the personified agent animated in accordance with the action under control of said agent control means.

36. A guidance device according to claim 35 wherein said agent output means includes display means for displaying the personified agent as an animated subject matter in accordance with one of multiple appearance patterns for said animated subject said one appearance pattern being selectively determined by said agent control means.

37. A device according to claim 35 wherein said animated subject is a pictorial representation of a human, animal or robot.

38. A guidance device according to claim 35 wherein said communication programs synthesize a plurality of different personified agents.

39. A guidance device according to claim 35 further comprising:

an agent data memory for storing items of user-related information, each item of user-related information being associated with one of a plurality of different drivers;

means for identifying a current driver as one of the plurality of different drivers.

40. A guidance device according to claim 39 wherein said communication programs synthesize a plurality of different personified agents and wherein said user-related information includes identification of one of said personified agents as a favorite of one of said different drivers.