Apparatus for providing information for vehicle

• US 8,185,380 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kameyama, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US12/465,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/146, 704/1, 704/9, 704/244, 704/257, 704/246, 707/769, 706/62, 434/362
• US Class Current: 704/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A system is provided with a conversation support means. A conversation support means creates a conversation response, and outputs it in a sound, a character, etc. A conversation response is created in a manner that combines words by inserting a reference keyword as a leading keyword in the response sentence model prepared separately. A conversation support means retrieves the reference keyword beforehand provided in conversation support by dictionary collation from the conversation entry content made by a sound, a manual entry, etc. by a user. Furthermore, the retrieved reference keyword themselves or another reference keyword associated with the retrieved reference keyword are handled as a leading keyword. A series of user conversation contents inputted by the conversation support are accumulated as a base data for determining a user interest. The base data is analyzed to determine a user interest for providing suitable information service.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a conversation input device which inputs conversation by an audio input or manual operation by a user on a vehicle;

a conversation support device, which is made to perform as a user'"'"'s false conversation partner, including;

a reference-keyword dictionary storage memory which memorizes a reference-keyword dictionary, in which a plurality of reference keywords are registered;

a reference-keyword extraction device for retrieving a reference keyword by comparing input contents of the conversation of the user with the reference-keyword dictionary;

a response sentence model storage memory which memorizes a plurality of response sentence models with an insertion blank part, in which a retrieved reference keyword or another reference keyword preliminary linked to the retrieved reference keyword within the keyword dictionary is inserted as a leading keyword so as to lead a user'"'"'s next conversation input; and

a conversation-leading-response-sentence creating and outputting device for creating and outputting a conversation leading response sentence, which leads the next conversation input by the user, the conversation leading response sentence being created by inserting the leading keyword corresponding to the retrieved reference keyword into the insertion blank part of the response sentence model, which is selected in accordance with the reference keyword and retrieved in an orderly manner from the response sentence model storage memory at each time of input of the conversation input by the user;

a base data accumulation device for determining a user interest, which accumulates base data for determining a user interest based on a series of conversation contents of the user inputted in response to leading of the conversation support device;

a service information collecting device for analyzing an object of the user interest based on contents of the accumulated base data for determining the user interest, and for collecting service information which is matched with the analyzed object of the user interest; and

a service information output device for outputting the collected service information in a form of an image, audio, or those combination,

wherein the conversation support device has a conversation support base data which includes the reference keyword dictionary and the response sentence models, the conversation support base data having a plurality of base data sets, each of which has different content adapted to a predetermined conversation support scene,

wherein the conversation support device further includes;

a conversation support scene determining device for determining occurrence of one of the predetermined conversation support scenes, and

a conversation support base data switching device for switching the base data sets of the conversation support base data in response to a determined conversation support scene,

wherein the reference-keyword extraction device does not conduct a syntax analysis for determining modification relation and grammatical logic analysis for word arrangement,

wherein the reference-keyword extraction device retrieves the reference keyword, which is a word matched in a character string with a certain reference keyword memorized in the reference-keyword dictionary storage memory,

wherein the conversation support device is configured as a chatterbot engine, which performs only both of a character string matching by referencing the reference-keyword dictionary storage memory with using the reference-keyword extraction device, and insertion of the leading keyword into the response sentence model, which is memorized in the response sentence model storage memory, with using the conversation-leading-response-sentence creating and outputting device.

2. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1,

wherein the conversation support device creates the conversation leading response sentence, of which a meaning is not uniquely determined, when there is no word matched in a character string in the reference-keyword dictionary.

3. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an interest determining keyword retrieving device for extracting an interest determining keyword, which is used for determining the user interest according to the conversation contents,

wherein the base data accumulation device for determining the user interest includes an interest determining keyword storage device for accumulating the extracted interest determining keyword.

4. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 3,

wherein the service information collecting device searches service information to be collected by using the interest determining keyword retrieved by the interest determining keyword retrieving device, and

wherein the interest determining keyword retrieving device analyzes a frequency of occurrence of the interest determining keyword accumulated in the interest determining keyword storage device, and sets higher priority for employing the interest determining keyword having high occurrence frequency when the service information collecting device searches the service information.

5. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 4,

wherein the interest determining keyword retrieving device has an interest determining keyword dictionary storage memory, which memorizes an interest determining keyword dictionary covering an interest determining keyword group selected beforehand, and

wherein the interest determining keyword retrieving device selectively retrieves the interest determining keyword listed on the interest determining keyword dictionary by comparing the interest determining keyword dictionary and a decomposition result of decompositioning the conversation contents into words.

6. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 3,

wherein the interest determining keyword dictionary is provided by the reference keyword dictionary which is used by the conversation-leading-response-sentence creating and outputting device.

7. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 6,

wherein the reference keyword retrieving device in the conversation-leading-response-sentence creating and outputting device is provided by the interest determining keyword retrieving device.

8. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1,

wherein the conversation support device includes;

a first narrowing device for repeating one or more turns the response sentence model, which includes a question item for narrowing a destination; and

a second narrowing device for outputting the response sentence model having a content for inducing continuous speaks by showing sympathy with user words.

9. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 8,

wherein the conversation support device includes:

a conversation cue phrase storages memory which memorizes a conversation cue phrase prepared for each of the conversation support scenes, and

a conversation cue phrase output device for reading and outputting a corresponding conversation cue phrase in response to a detection of occurrence of the conversation support scene.

10. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 8,

wherein the conversation support scene determining device determines a start-up scene of the vehicle as the conversation support scene, and

wherein the conversation support base data switching device switches to the set of the conversation support base data for inducing interest object information relating to a final destination from the user.

11. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 8,

wherein the conversation support scene determining device determines a hungry scene of the user as the conversation support scene, and

wherein the conversation support base data switching device switches to the set of the conversation support base data for inducing interest object information relating to a meal content from the user.

12. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 8,

wherein the conversation support scene determining device determines a fatigue scene of the user as the conversation support scene, and

wherein the conversation support base data switching device switches to the set of the conversation support base data for inducing interest object information relating to a resting content from a user.

13. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1,

wherein the conversation support device has a conversation support base data which includes the reference keyword dictionary and the response sentence models, the conversation support base data including a plurality of base data sets, each of which has a different content adapted to a physical and/or mental condition of the user which is subject to applying a conversation support, and

wherein the conversation support device includes:

a user body characteristics information acquisition device for acquiring user body characteristics information, which reflects the user'"'"'s physical condition and/or mental condition;

a physical and mental condition determining device for determining user'"'"'s physical condition and/or mental condition based on a content of acquired user body characteristics information; and

a conversation support base data switching device for switching the sets of the conversation support base data in response to a determined user'"'"'s physical condition and/or mental condition.

14. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 9,

wherein the conversation support base data includes a plurality of base data sets, each of which has a different content adapted to season, and

wherein the conversation support base data switching device detects present season, and chooses and uses the set of the conversation support base data corresponding to the detected season.

15. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a car-navigation system,

wherein the service information collecting device searches and collects the destination information, which suits user interesting information, as the service information on the car-navigation system.

16. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless access device to the Internet website,

wherein the service information collecting device searches and collects website information, which suits user interesting information, as the service information on the Internet.

17. The information providing apparatus for the vehicle claimed in claim 1,

wherein the conversation support device includes a conversation leading device for performing conversation at the start-up scene with using the conversation support base data in order to pull out information about an user desired destination from the user.