Voice guidance intonation in a vehicle navigation system

• US 6,456,935 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Horizon Navigation, Inc.
• Inventors: Ng, Yik-Mien
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US09/537,005
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23-26, 701/200-202, 701/208-211, 340/988, 340/995, 340/996, 704/9, 704/200, 704/205-207, 704/258, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/271
• US Class Current: 701/211
• 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 method and apparatus are described for providing route guidance to a user of a vehicle navigation system. A route is generated which corresponds to a plurality of maneuvers. Each of the maneuvers includes a plurality of voice fragments. Each of the voice fragments may have more than one associated audio file. Multiple audio files for the same voice fragment contain different audio output for the voice fragment. A maneuver instruction corresponding to a particular maneuver is generated by selecting audio files for each of the voice fragments in the maneuver. By providing multiple audio files for the same voice fragment and flexible selection of the multiple audio files for a maneuver instruction, route guidance communication may be improved.

Claims

1. A method for generating a maneuver instruction in a vehicle navigation system, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments and corresponding to one of a plurality of maneuvers associated with a route generated by the vehicle navigation system, the method comprising selecting one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, a first one of the voice fragments comprising a number and having at least two audio files corresponding thereto, selection of one of the at least two audio files being done with reference to whether the plurality of voice fragments includes a descriptor second voice fragment, wherein the one of the at least two audio files which is selected has an upward voice intonation emphasis for the first one of the voice fragments.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first one of the voice fragments and the second voice fragment are consecutively presented.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first one of the voice fragments precedes the second voice fragment.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second voice fragment is the last voice fragment in the maneuver instruction.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first one of the voice fragments and the descriptor are consecutively presented.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the descriptor is the last voice fragment in the maneuver instruction.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the maneuver instruction comprises information relating to a freeway.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first one of the voice fragments comprises information relating to a freeway.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first one of the voice fragments comprises a number corresponding to the freeway.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second voice fragment comprises information relating to a freeway.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the descriptor is one of north, south, east, west, toll, bridge and alternate.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the maneuver instruction further comprises a first string relating to an action for the maneuver instruction.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the maneuver instruction further comprises a second string after the first string and before the plurality of voice fragments.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second string comprises the word “

on”

.

15. A method for generating a maneuver instruction in a vehicle navigation system, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments and corresponding to one of a plurality of maneuvers associated with a route generated by the vehicle navigation system, the method comprising selecting one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, a first one of the voice fragments having at least two audio files corresponding thereto and comprising a number, selection of one of the at least two audio files being done with reference to whether the plurality of voice fragments includes an attached number, wherein the one of the at least two audio files which is selected has an upward voice intonation emphasis for the first one of the voice fragments.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first one of the voice fragments and the second voice fragment are consecutively presented.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first one of the voice fragments precedes the second voice fragment.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the second voice fragment is the last voice fragment in the maneuver instruction.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the maneuver instruction comprises information relating to a freeway.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first one of the voice fragments comprises information relating to a freeway.

21. A method for generating a maneuver instruction in a vehicle navigation system, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments and corresponding to one of a plurality of maneuvers associated with a route generated by the vehicle navigation system, the method comprising selecting one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, the plurality of voice fragments comprising a first voice fragment having first and second audio files corresponding thereto, the first audio file having a first intonation characterized by an upward emphasis and the second audio file having a second intonation characterized by a downward emphasis, the first audio file being selected when the plurality of voice fragments comprises a descriptor voice fragment following the first voice fragment, the second audio file being selected when the plurality of voice fragments does not include the descriptor fragment.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the maneuver instruction comprises information relating to a freeway.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the maneuver instruction further comprises a first string relating to an action for the maneuver instruction.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the maneuver instruction further comprises a second string after the first string and before the plurality of voice fragments.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the second string comprises the word “

on”

.

26. A method for generating a maneuver instruction in a vehicle navigation system, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments and corresponding to one of a plurality of maneuvers associated with a route generated by the vehicle navigation system, the method comprising selecting one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, the plurality of voice fragments comprising a first numeric voice fragment having first and second audio files corresponding thereto, the first audio file having a first intonation characterized by an upward emphasis and the second audio file having a second intonation characterized by a downward emphasis, the first audio file being selected when the first numeric voice fragment is attached to a second numeric voice fragment, the second audio file being selected when the first numeric voice fragment is unattached.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first one of the voice fragments precedes the second voice fragment.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the maneuver instruction comprises information relating to a freeway.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the first one of the voice fragments comprises information relating to a freeway.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the maneuver instruction further comprises a first string relating to an action for the maneuver instruction.

31. A method for generating a maneuver instruction in a vehicle navigation system, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments and corresponding to one of a plurality of maneuvers associated with a route generated by the vehicle navigation system, the method comprising selecting one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, the plurality of voice fragments comprising a first numeric voice fragment having first and second audio files corresponding thereto, the first audio file having a first intonation characterized by an upward emphasis and the second audio file having a second intonation characterized by a downward emphasis, the first audio file being selected when the first numeric voice fragment is attached to a second numeric voice fragment and followed by a descriptor voice fragment, and when the first numeric voice fragment is unattached and followed by a descriptor voice fragment, the second audio file being selected when the first numeric voice fragment is attached to the second numeric voice fragment and not followed by the descriptor voice fragment, and when the first numeric voice fragment is unattached and not followed by the descriptor voice fragment.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the first one of the voice fragments precedes the second voice fragment.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the maneuver instruction further comprises a first string relating to an action for the maneuver instruction.

34. A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting a current vehicle position and a vehicle heading, and generating signals indicative thereof;

a user interface for communicating navigation information to a user;

a database medium having a map database and a plurality of voice fragment audio files stored therein;

a processor coupled to the sensors, the user interface, and the database medium, the processor being operable to;

generate a route which corresponds to a plurality of maneuvers;

generate a maneuver instruction corresponding to one of the plurality of maneuvers, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments;

select one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, a first one of the voice fragments having at least two audio files corresponding thereto, the first audio file having a first intonation characterized by an upward emphasis and the second audio file having a second intonation characterized by a downward emphasis, the first audio file being selected when the plurality of voice fragments comprises a descriptor voice fragment following the first voice fragment, the second audio file being selected when the plurality of voice fragments does not include the descriptor fragment;

present the maneuver instruction to the user; and

an audio output communicator coupled to the processor for presenting an audio representation of the maneuver instruction to the user of the vehicle navigation system.

35. A computer program product for providing route guidance to a user of a vehicle navigation system, comprising:

at least one computer-readable medium; and

a computer program mechanism embedded in the at least one computer-readable medium for causing a computer to;

generate a route which corresponds to a plurality of maneuvers;

generate a maneuver instruction corresponding to one of the plurality of maneuvers, the maneuver instruction comprising a plurality of voice fragments;

select one of a plurality of audio files for each of the voice fragments thereby generating the maneuver instruction, a first one of the voice fragments having at least two audio files corresponding thereto, the first audio file having a first intonation characterized by an upward emphasis and the second audio file having a second intonation characterized by a downward emphasis, the first audio file being selected when the plurality of voice fragments comprises a descriptor voice fragment following the first voice fragment, the second audio file being selected when the plurality of voice fragments does not include the descriptor fragment; and

present an audio representation of each of the maneuver instructions prior to execution of a corresponding one of the maneuvers.