JPH05203458A - Guidance device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] When the voice synthesizer outputs guidance information by voice, it corrects and outputs the part that cannot be output. Configuration: An alternative expression is stored in a storage unit 1000, and a signal that cannot be output (signal conversion is not possible) is detected in the guidance information by the signal processing unit 1100 prior to voice output, and this word is replaced with the alternative expression. By doing so, the guidance information for voice output is created by the information processing means 1200.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car navigation system used for a moving object, for example, an automobile, by using guidance information received from the outside for a guidance object, and providing geographical information near the present location to drivers and passengers. The present invention relates to a guidance device that provides voice guidance for traffic information and destination guidance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a car navigation system has been provided as a guide device for transmitting position information of a vehicle and route guidance information to a driver. This system is equipped with a geomagnetic sensor, a direction sensor such as a gyro, a mileage sensor for measuring the mileage, a map memory, and a display. The current position of the vehicle is detected, and the detected position and the vector of the traveling direction are displayed on the display. The map is displayed in an overlapping manner on the displayed map.

A system for wirelessly transmitting information to a running vehicle has also been considered. The information sent includes, for example, current vehicle position information, traffic regulations,
There are timely information such as traffic jam information and road destination information. FIG. 7 shows an example of a system configuration for displaying these information guides on the navigation display.
Shown in.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a transmitting antenna provided on a telephone pole beside the road. Since the current position information of the vehicle can be transmitted only to the vehicle passing by the side of the utility pole, an antenna with good directivity is used so that radio waves do not reach outside the unnecessary range. Reference numeral 2 denotes a receiving antenna, which is provided on the vehicle 100. Reference numeral 3 denotes a receiver, which demodulates the received radio wave and transmits the transmitted information to the display control unit 5.

Reference numeral 9 is a wheel speed sensor, 10 is a geomagnetic sensor, and the position detecting section 8 calculates the current position of the vehicle based on the amount of movement and the moving direction of the vehicle detected by these sensors. 4 is a road map database. The display control unit 5 superimposes the road map, the current position of the vehicle, and the received information as appropriate and presents them to the driver visually on the display 6.

Information received from the outside is displayed on the display. However, it is burdensome for the driver to see this display while driving, which is not preferable for safe driving. Therefore, it is conceivable to transmit these pieces of information to the driver by voice instead of visual information.

FIG. 8 shows the structure of the device when transmitting information received from the outside by voice (the display relationship on the display is omitted).

Received via the antenna 2 and the receiver 3,
For example, the guidance information in the form of a character code string is provided by the voice synthesis unit 1.
2, it is converted into a voice guidance sentence, and the speaker 13
After that, the driver and passenger are informed. Speech synthesizer 12
Is a stored vocabulary method (including recording editing method and analysis / synthesis method) that accumulates vocabulary or sentences uttered by humans and edits the order as it is, or by editing syllables and other necessary elements. A voice rule synthesis method (including a text synthesis method) that synthesizes a sentence is used.

[0009]

However, in the case of such a configuration in which the display display is simply replaced with the voice output, a problem occurs when the guide information transmitted from the outside cannot be directly converted into the voice. This is, for example, the case where the guide information transmitted from the outside includes a proper noun such as a geographical name.In the case of the stored vocabulary method, the utterance of the proper noun is registered in advance inside the guide device. It occurs when you do not put it. In the case of the voice rule synthesis method, it occurs when the reading of the proper noun (including how to attach accents) is not understood from the character representation such as Kanji of the place name indicated by the received character code.

This problem can be avoided by registering a sufficient vocabulary such as proper nouns in the guide device in advance, but it is difficult to register all of them due to memory and labor restrictions. In addition, geographical names may be newly generated. Therefore, in such a case, it is not practical that no allowance can be made and voice output is disabled.

Even when the guide information is displayed on the display, the same problem as described above occurs when the kanji information of the place name included in the guide information is not registered in the image conversion character generator in the display.

The present invention has been devised in order to solve this problem, and even if the received guidance information includes a geographical name that cannot be output, a guidance device that enables a proper alternative output. The purpose is to provide.

[0013]

In order to achieve such an object, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a first information signal installed in a moving body, received from the outside, or generated inside the device. In the guidance device, the guidance information in the form of a second information signal for output is converted, and then the guidance information in the form of the second information signal is displayed or output as audio information. Storage means for storing in advance alternative information in the form of the first information signal or in the form of the second information signal, which indicates an alternative expression for a portion that cannot be converted from the above into the second information signal. In the signal processing means for detecting a portion that cannot be converted into the second information signal, and in the guide information having a signal form that matches the signal form of the alternative information, the portion detected by the signal processing means is replaced with the substitute signal. Characterized in that comprises an information processing means for synthesizing guidance information for the information output by replacing the information.

In a second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of types of alternative information stored in the storage means are prepared in association with a relative positional relationship and / or a distance between the guide object indicated by the guide information and the moving body. The input means for inputting the first position information indicating the current position of the moving body and the second position information indicating the position of the guiding object, and the input first position information and second position information. Based on the calculation processing means for calculating the relative positional relationship and / or the distance, and the type of alternative information corresponding to the calculated relative positional relationship and / or the distance is selected as the alternative information for the replacement. And a selection means for performing the selection.

[0015]

In the present invention, attention is paid to the fact that the portion of the guidance information that cannot be converted into a signal is a Kanji code that indicates the name of the guidance object. In the first invention, for example, one type of alternative such as "from now on" By replacing the name part of the guidance target that cannot be converted into the expression and the signal, grammatically valid guidance information is displayed or output by voice.

In the second invention, for example, "right hand",
Multiple types of alternative expressions such as "left hand" and "100 meters" are prepared, and the relative positional relationship between the moving body and the guidance object and / or
Alternatively, the alternative expression used for replacement is selected according to the distance.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the basic construction of an embodiment of the present invention.

The guide device of the present embodiment is installed in a mobile body, receives guide information in the form of a first information signal from the outside by radio, converts the guide information into a form of the second information signal, and then the second information signal. Is a guide device that displays or outputs guide information in the form of an information signal by voice.

This guidance device provides alternative information in the form of the first information signal or in the form of the second information signal, which represents an alternative representation for the part incapable of converting the first information signal into the second information signal. Storage means 100 storing in advance
0 and signal processing means 1100 for detecting a portion of the guidance information that cannot be converted into the form of the second information signal.
And an information processing unit 1200 for synthesizing the guide information for information output by replacing the portion detected by the signal processing unit with the substitute information in the guide information having a signal form that matches the signal form of the substitute information. It is equipped with

Further, in this guide device, the alternative information stored in the storage means is associated with a plurality of types in relation to the relative positional relationship and / or the distance between the guide object indicated by the guide information and the moving body. Input means 2000 that is prepared and that inputs the first position information indicating the current position of the moving body and the second position information indicating the position of the guidance target, and the input first position information and the second position. An arithmetic processing unit 2100 that calculates the relative positional relationship and / or the distance based on the information, and a substitute for the replacement of the type of alternative information corresponding to the calculated relative positional relationship and / or the distance. Selector 22 for selecting as information
00 and the guide device is further provided.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a concrete circuit configuration of the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the same parts as those in FIGS. 7 and 8 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 2, a microprocessor (MP
U) 11 is a central processing unit (CPU), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (R)
AM) is built in. The CPU executes the processing procedure of FIGS. 4 to 6 stored in the ROM, and causes the voice synthesizer 12 to output the guidance information for reception by voice.

In this embodiment, a compact disc 4A is used as the road map database 4, and the compact disc (CD) 4A stores map information, a reading conversion table and an alternative representation table in advance. The Yomi conversion table describes Kanji words for place names, Kanji words often used in guidance information, and their readings in the character code form.

The contents of the alternative expression table according to the present invention are shown in FIG.

The expression described in the alternative expression table is, for example, "in front", and the expression indicating the relative positional relationship between the guide object and the moving body (vehicle) and the guide such as "100 meters". A representation is provided that represents the distance between the object and the moving body. These expressions are composed of the hiragana character code indicating reading. The CD4A storing this alternative expression table operates as the storage means of the present invention.

Returning to FIG. 2, the CD drive (CDD) 4B
Reads the stored information from the address designated by the MPU 11.

The receiver 3 wirelessly receives the guide information in the form of a character code (first information signal of the present invention) from the ground station, and outputs the guide information as it is in the character code. In addition,
The communication format to be performed between the ground station and the receiver 3 is predetermined, and when the guide information includes a place name to be guided, position information indicating the geographical position of the place name is added. It has been done.

The voice output operation of the guide device having such a configuration will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.

When the receiver 3 receives, for example, guidance information (a character code form including a kanji code) "Omekaido is in a traffic jam" and position information indicating the position of "Omekaido", the MPU 11 receives it in the internal RAM. Information is stored (step S10 in FIG. 4).

Next, the MPU 11 detects a continuous kanji string in the guide information for reception as a word to be converted into reading. As a method for word detection, a word detection method often used in language translation may be used, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this example, "Ome Kaido" and "traffic jam"
Is detected. Next, the MPU 11 searches the reading conversion table on the CD 4A to convert the detected word into reading. More specifically, if a mismatch judgment is obtained by performing a match comparison between the first word of the Yomi conversion table and the above "Omekaido", the word on the Yomi conversion table to be compared is set to the next word. Switch to the next match comparison.

In this way, the MPU 11 searches for a word that matches "Ome Kaido". If "Ome Kaido"
If the word corresponding to is not described in the reading-conversion table, a mismatch determination is obtained in the matching determination process for the last word on the reading-conversion table. In this case, the MPU 11 determines that “Ome Kaido” cannot be converted into reading (steps S30 → S40 in FIG. 4). At this time, the MPU 11 operates as the signal processing means of the present invention.

On the other hand, when it is described in the reading conversion table such as "during traffic jam", a matching judgment result is obtained in the above matching judgment processing. At this time, the MPU 11 reads out the reading "Jutatayu" which is written along with the Chinese character word on the reading conversion table and replaces it with the Chinese character word "traffic jam" in the guide information on the internal RAM (Fig. 4). Steps S30 → S40 → S45).

When it is determined that the conversion into reading is impossible (step S40 in FIG. 4), the MPU 11 uses the current position of the moving body as the detection result of the wheel speed sensor 9 and the geomagnetic sensor 10 and the previous position detection result. It is calculated based on (step S50 of FIG. 4).

Subsequently, the MPU 11 reads the position information received from the ground station for the "Ome Kaido" stored in the internal RAM, and detects the position of the "Ome Kaido" based on the map information and the position information on the CD 4A. (Step S60 of FIG. 4). At this time, the MPU 11 operates as the input means of the present invention.

The MPU 11 calculates the distance between the current position of the moving body and the position of the guidance target "Ome Kaido" according to a predetermined arithmetic expression. Further, the MPU 11 identifies the relative positional relationship between the moving body and the guidance target by comparing the magnitudes of both positions (step S70 in FIG. 4). At this time, MP
U11 operates as the arithmetic processing means of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, with respect to the relative positional relationship, it is identified whether the guidance target is the front, right, or left of the moving body.

Based on the distance to the guidance target and the relative positional relationship thus obtained, the MPU 11 selects the alternative expressions from the alternative expression table on the CD 4A as the selecting means of the present invention. Select reading. This selection process will be described later. The selected reading is read from the CD4A by the MPU 11, and the internal RAM is read.
It is replaced with the Chinese character word "Omekaido" in the above guidance information (step S90 in FIG. 4). At this time, the MPU 11 operates as the information processing means of the present invention.

In this way, the kanji words included in the received guidance sentence are converted into kana characters indicating reading, and the convertible place-name kanji words are converted into alternative expressions, so that the guidance in the internal RAM is guided. The sentence information is converted into guide sentence information composed of kana characters, for example, "Zenpo Hyakume Toru is 12".

When the MPU 11 confirms that all the kanji words in the guidance sentence information have been converted into readings, it reads the guidance information in kana character form from the internal RAM and transfers it to the voice synthesizer 12 (step S100 in FIG. 5 → S11
0).

As a result, the voice synthesizer 12 outputs the guidance information by voice.

Although not described in this control procedure, when the guide information is displayed on the display 6, the received guide information containing the kanji is separately stored and stored in the internal RAM, and is displayed on the display 6. Directly transfer guide information containing kanji.

Next, the alternative expression selecting process according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The selection criteria used in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are as follows.

(A) When the relative position of the guiding object is located on the right side or the left side of the moving body, only the alternative expression corresponding to the relative positional relationship is selected.

(B) When the relative position of the object to be guided is in front of the moving body and the distance is 80 m or less, the alternative expression of "front" is used.

(C) When the relative position of the guiding object is in front of the moving body and the distance is 80 m or more, in addition to the alternative expression "forward", an alternative expression determined for each distance is selected.

For example, as a relative positional relationship, "front",
When the distance is 140 m, the processing procedure of FIG. 6 is S2.
00 → S210 → S220, and in S220,
It is confirmed that the relative positional relationship is "front". next,
S that distance 140m is in the range of 80m to 150m
If it is confirmed in 240, the execution procedure of the MPU 11 is S24.
Go to 5. As a result, from the alternative expressions shown in FIG.
"Front" and "100 meters" are selected.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the input data for the voice synthesizer is created by using the alternative expression for the place name that cannot be converted into the form of the input data of the voice synthesizer, the guidance sentence is output by voice. At that time, the voice output becomes grammatically valid.

In addition to this embodiment, the following example can be carried out.

1) In the present embodiment, since the voice synthesizer 12 of the voice synthesis rule system is used, the alternative expression is composed of reading, that is, phonetic characters, but the voice of another system, for example, the stored vocabulary system. When a synthesizer is used, the alternative expression is constructed in a signal form that can be input to the speech synthesizer.

2) In the present embodiment, the alternative expression replacement process is performed in the reading (kana character code) form for input to the voice synthesizer 12. However, it is composed of kanji mixed words that can convert the alternative expression into reading. In case of doing, in the guide information (the first information signal form of the present invention) including the received Kanji code,
Replace unconvertible words with convertible Kanji words. After this, the guide information for which the replacement processing has been completed is converted into reading for voice output.

3) In this embodiment, a plurality of types of alternative expressions are prepared. However, if it is desired to simplify the guide device, it is possible to use only one type of alternative expression, for example, "from here". In this case, the alternative expression selection process of FIG. 6 is not required, and the alternative expression replacement process is performed when a Kanji code string incapable of word conversion is detected.

4) When it is desired to bring the alternative expression closer to the contents of the reception guide information, the following processing may be performed.

A) That is, a word described in the Yomi conversion table is detected in a Kanji code string that continues from the last character that cannot be converted. For example, if "Ome Kaido" cannot be read and converted and "Kaido" is obtained, the "alternative expression" and "Kaido" obtained in the present embodiment are connected by a connecting particle, for example, "100 meters ahead". Create an alternative expression of "Highway".

B) Further, among the unconvertible words, whether or not there is a word indicating a geographical content, such as "intersection", "castle", "pond", etc. is compared and judged, and the word whose existence is detected is represented as an alternative expression. It is also possible to make the content of the alternative expression accurate by adding to. In addition, depending on the distance to the guidance target, it is possible to add alternative expressions indicating the distance relationship, such as "this pond" and "100 meters ahead of the pond".

C) The traveling route of the moving body to the guidance target point is detected as a relative positional relationship from the road map database, and alternative expressions representing the traveling route are combined. As alternative expressions, for example, “front intersection”, “turn right”, “turn left”, “road”, etc. may be prepared in advance.

5) In the present embodiment, the guidance target (place name) included in the guidance information is input with a character code mixed with Kanji. However, when receiving with only the identification code on the road map database, it is read as an information code. It suffices to prepare a conversion table for.

6) In this embodiment, only an example of voice output has been described, but the present invention can be applied to the case of displaying guidance information. In this case, the MPU 11 determines whether or not the pattern conversion can be performed by the character generator, and the voice synthesizer is displayed and the reading is replaced with the image pattern.

7) Further, a voice guidance device proposed by the applicant of the present application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2-10100 filed on Apr. 17, 1990).
No. 4), create guidance information in the voice guidance device,
It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case of outputting audio.

[0061]

According to the present invention, even if there is a vocabulary that cannot be output as a synthetic voice, the guidance sentence can be output as a synthetic voice that is correct in terms of content. Even if there is a vocabulary that cannot be synthesized, it will be possible to synthesize only a few frequently occurring vocabulary because it will not cause any problems in practice.
It is possible to omit the speech synthesis function of many vocabularies that appear infrequently, and compared with the case where all vocabularies can be speech synthesized.
Significant cost reduction can be achieved in terms of vocabulary registration labor and storage capacity.

If the external information indicates the positional relationship between the vehicle on which the listener is riding and the target object, the positional relationship between the listener and the guidance target object can also be determined from this. , Even if there is a newly generated geographical name, it is possible to output a guidance sentence with synthetically correct synthetic voice. Therefore, even if a new geographical name is generated, the voice guidance device up to that point can be used, and the investment in the voice guidance device is not wasted.

There is an advantage that Furthermore, compared to the case where guidance information is output only to the display, the action of looking into the display, which is required when guidance cannot be provided by synthetic voice, becomes unnecessary, which reduces the burden on the driver and prevents the driver from looking aside. Traffic safety can be promoted.

There is also an advantage.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific circuit configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an alternative expression according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the MPU 11 of FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the MPU 11 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the MPU 11 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a conventional guide device.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a circuit of a guide device that outputs a voice.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 antenna 3 receiver 4 road map database 6 display 11 MPU 12 speech synthesizer (speech synthesizer)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Guidance information in the form of a first information signal installed on a mobile body, received from the outside, or created inside the device is converted into a form of a second information signal for output. Then, in the guide device for displaying or outputting the guide information in the form of the second information signal by voice, the first device showing an alternative expression for a portion in which the first information signal cannot be converted into the second information signal. Storage means for preliminarily storing alternative information in the form of the information signal or the form of the second information signal, and signal processing means for detecting a portion of the guide information that cannot be converted into the form of the second information signal. And information for synthesizing guide information for information output by replacing the portion detected by the signal processing means with the substitute information in the guide information having a signal form that matches the signal form of the substitute information. A guide device comprising a processing means. 2. The alternative information stored in the storage means is
Plural types are prepared in association with the relative positional relationship and / or the distance between the guidance target indicated by the guidance information and the moving body, and first position information indicating the current position of the moving body and the guidance target. Input means for inputting second position information indicating the position of the object, and the input first position information and second input
An arithmetic processing unit that calculates the relative positional relationship and / or the distance based on the positional information, and a substitute for the replacement of the substitute information of a type corresponding to the calculated relative positional relationship and / or the distance. The guide device according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit for selecting as information.