Vehicular music replay system

• US 7,767,896 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kameyama, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren; David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/183,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-602, 700/94, 381/86
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/636 by using biological or physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution

Abstract

There is a need for providing a vehicular music replay system that can allow a car user to select a music source appropriate to the user'"'"'s character or biological condition even from genres unknown to the user, allow even a first music source to be felt suited for the user, and consequently enhance an emotion about encounter with an unknown music source. The system stores music sources to be replayed in music source databases in association with applicable user state data reflecting a user state containing at least one of a user character, mental condition, and physical condition. The system retrieves a music source corresponding to the current user state acquired in a car. During the retrieval, a higher retrieval priority is provided for a music source having a lower replay history in the past.

Claims

1. A vehicular music replay system comprising:

a music replay and output means provided in a vehicle for replaying music based on selected music source data;

a storage medium including a music source database for storing the music source data individually in association with applicable user state data reflecting a user state containing at least a user character, a mental condition, and a physical condition applicable to a music content replayed by each music source data;

a music replay history recording means for recording a replay history of each of the music source data;

a user state specification means for specifying a current user state of the user in the vehicle;

an unfamiliar source retrieval means for searching the music source database for music source data provided with applicable user state data corresponding to the specified user state so as to provide a higher retrieval priority for a lower replay history by referencing the replay history; and

an unfamiliar source replay control means for selecting music source data to be replayed from the music source database based on a retrieval result by the unfamiliar source retrieval means and allowing the music replay and output means to replay the selected music source data.

2. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user specification means for specifying a user in the vehicle,

wherein the music replay history recording means records a replay history of the music source data for each user; and

wherein the unfamiliar source retrieval means references a replay history record about a user specified by the user specification means and searches the music source database for music source data corresponding to a user state of the specified user so as to provide a higher retrieval priority for a lower replay history.

3. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1,

wherein the unfamiliar source retrieval means searches the music source database for, as unfamiliar source data, music source data having a replay history about a user smaller than a predetermined threshold count;

and

wherein the unfamiliar source replay control means allows the music replay and output means to replay at least any one of pieces of retrieved unfamiliar source data.

4. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 3,

wherein the unfamiliar source retrieval means searches the music source database for the unfamiliar source data in terms of an unexperienced content that is music source data having no replay history by a user in past;

and

wherein the unfamiliar source replay control means allows the music replay and output means to replay retrieved unplayed source data.

5. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 3,

wherein the unfamiliar source replay control means automatically replays retrieved unfamiliar source data.

6. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 5, further comprising:

an automatic content notification means for notifying visually or audibly the user of a content of automatic replay prior to automatic replay of the unfamiliar source data.

7. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an unfamiliar source retrieval result output means for displaying a retrieval result generated by the unfamiliar source retrieval means; and

a selective input means for allowing the user to reference a content output from the unfamiliar source retrieval result output means and selectively input music source data to be replayed,

wherein the unfamiliar source replay control means replays selectively input music source data.

8. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1,

wherein the applicable user state data is associated with the music source data in the music source database and contains user biological condition data reflecting at least one of a mental condition and a physical condition of the user;

wherein the user state specification means includes a user biological condition monitoring means that detects and monitors user biological condition reflecting at least one of a mental condition and a physical condition of the user in the vehicle; and

wherein the unfamiliar source retrieval means searches, upon request, the music source database for music source data applicable to a user biological condition being monitored.

9. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1,

wherein the applicable user state data is associated with the music source data in the music source database and contains character specification data for specifying a character of the user;

wherein the user state specification means includes a character specification data means for acquiring character specification data about the user in the vehicle; and

wherein the unfamiliar source retrieval means searches the music source database for music source data corresponding to the acquired character specification data.

10. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a degree-of-conformity evaluation means for evaluating a degree of conformity between the user state and a music source replayed based on the music source data; and

an applicable user state data correction means for correcting a degree of conformity as a feedback corresponding to the replayed music source data in the music source database based on an evaluation result of the degree of conformity.

11. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a manual song selection means for manually selecting any music source data in the music source database;

a manual song selection and replay control means for allowing the music replay and output means to replay the manually selected music source data;

a familiar source retrieval means for referencing a replay history recorded by the music replay history recording means and searching the music source database for precedented music source data that corresponds to a specified user state and has a replay history greater than or equal to a specified value;

a familiar source replay control means for automatically selecting targeted music source data from the retrieved precedented music source data and allowing the music replay and output means to replay the music source data; and

a selection and replay mode change means for periodically alternating (i) a normal selection and a replay mode enabled by the familiar source replay control means or the manual song selection and replay control means and (ii) a special selection and replay mode enabled by the unfamiliar source replay control means.

12. The vehicular music replay system according to claim 1,

wherein the music source database includes a vehicle database provided in the vehicle and a distributor database that is provided outside the vehicle for enabling a wireless communication access from a plurality of vehicles and wirelessly delivers the music source data to the vehicle database;

and

wherein the vehicle is provided with a new music source data download means for downloading, from the distributor database, music source data that corresponds to the specified user state and is not stored in the vehicle database.

13. A method for replaying music in a vehicle, the method comprising:

storing music source data including a plurality of music sources, each music source being in association with applicable user state data reflecting a user state containing at least a user character, a mental condition, and a physical condition applicable to a music content replayed by the each music source;

recording a replay history of each of the music sources;

specifying a current user state of the user in the vehicle;

searching the music source database for a music source provided with applicable user state data corresponding to the specified user state so as to provide a higher retrieval priority for a lower replay history by referencing the replay history;

selecting a music source to be replayed from the music source database based on a result from the searching the music source database; and

replaying the selected music source.