Navigation system

Abstract

The invention provides a navigation system which is used for providing vehicle position information. The navigation system comprises a voice information acquisition unit, a priority setting unit and a control unit. The voice information acquisition unit is used for acquiring first information related to a navigation system and second information related to an application program selected by a passenger. And the priority setting unit is used for setting the priority of voice output of the navigation system according to the first information and the second information. The control unit is used for controlling voice output of the navigation system according to the priority, the first information is output content of the navigation system, and the second information is the type or the output content of the application program. The priority setting unit sets a priority according to the second information when the emergency degree of the first information is lower than a predetermined emergency degree, and sets the priority to be higher than the first priority when the emergency degree of the first information is higher than the predetermined emergency degree.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a navigation system, and in particular to a navigation system for controlling voice output according to priority. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a navigation device that outputs an audio signal and a navigation voice guidance, a function that can control the navigation voice guidance is known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes an audio device that discloses that when outputting a guide voice, an audio signal is reduced from a current level to a predetermined level, and the guide voice is increased from a current level to a predetermined level, thereby outputting the audio signal and the guide voice in a mixed manner.

[0004] However, when passengers want to enjoy content such as videos and audio books, if the navigation voice guidance is output, the passengers may feel annoyed. Therefore, it is conceivable that passengers want to selectively control (manually set) the voice guidance function, but in this case, there is a risk of missing necessary information. In addition, it may be annoying for passengers to manually set it every time they get on the bus.

[0005] [Prior art literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-161977 Summary of the invention

[0008] This proposal aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by outputting the application content first without affecting the navigation voice guidance. Furthermore, it will contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention is a navigation system for providing vehicle location information. The navigation system includes a voice information acquisition unit, a priority setting unit and a control unit. The voice information acquisition unit is used to acquire first information related to the navigation system and second information related to an application selected by a passenger. The priority setting unit is used to set the priority of the voice output of the navigation system according to the first information and the second information. The control unit is used to control the voice output of the navigation system according to the priority, wherein the first information is the output content of the navigation system and the second information is the type or output content of the application. The priority setting unit sets the priority according to the second information when the urgency of the first information is lower than the predetermined urgency, and sets the priority to be higher than the first priority when the urgency of the first information is higher than the predetermined urgency.

[0010] According to the structure, by controlling the voice output of the navigation system based on the information related to the navigation system and the information related to the application (music, video, etc.) selected by the occupant, the marketability is improved because the personalization (customization) of the output information is improved without the need for the passenger's operation. In addition, by setting the priority according to the urgency of the first information (the output content of the navigation system), it is possible to prevent the loss of necessary information (timely information such as road restriction information and accident information).

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the priority setting unit sets the priority level to be lower than the first priority level, the control unit suppresses the voice output of the navigation system.

[0012] According to the structure, by controlling the voice output of the navigation system based on information related to the navigation system and information related to the application (music, video, etc.) selected by the passenger, the personalization (customization) of the output information can be improved without the need for passenger operation, thereby improving marketability.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system further includes indirect lighting arranged in the vehicle, and a light control unit. The light control unit controls the lighting mode of the indirect lighting based on the first information, and turns on the indirect lighting according to the indicated direction when the first information is route information.

[0014] According to the structure, when the voice output is suppressed, the indirect lighting provided in the vehicle is lit together with the direction indication content, so that the driver can be reminded and the marketability can be improved.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system further includes a vibrator disposed inside the seat, and a vibrator control unit. The vibrator control unit controls a vibration mode of the vibrator based on the first information, and vibrates the vibrator according to the indicated direction when the first information is route information.

[0016] According to the above structure, when the voice output is suppressed, the vibrator provided inside the seat vibrates in conjunction with the content of the direction indication, thereby being able to alert the driver and improve marketability.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system further includes a state detection unit for detecting a state of the occupant. When the state detection unit detects driver fatigue, the control unit does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system even if the priority setting unit sets the priority lower than the first priority.

[0018] According to the structure, as the driver's fatigue level increases, the driver's attention decreases compared to usual. Therefore, when driver fatigue is detected, the voice output of the navigation system is not suppressed, thereby improving the personalization of the output information.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system further includes a storage unit for storing the past driving records of the vehicle in combination with the driver information. When the storage unit does not store the driving records related to the current driving route, the control unit does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system even if the priority setting unit sets the priority to be lower than the first priority.

[0020] According to the above structure, when the driver is driving on the current road for the first time, he is likely to rely on the navigation system because he is not familiar with the local area. In this case, by not suppressing the voice output of the navigation system, the personalization of the output information can be improved.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system further includes an identification unit for identifying a driver. The storage unit stores a driving record related to a current driving route, and when the driver information does not match the identification information of the identification unit, the control unit does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system even if the priority setting unit sets the priority to be lower than the first priority.

[0022] According to the above structure, when the driver is driving on the current road for the first time, he is likely to rely on the navigation system because he is not familiar with the local area. In this case, by not suppressing the voice output of the navigation system, the personalization of the output information can be improved.

[0023] Based on the above, the navigation system of the present invention controls the navigation system by determining the priority between the voice output of the application and the voice guidance of the navigation system according to the application information (voice type, application type) accompanying the voice output. Thus, the content of the application can be output preferentially without affecting the navigation voice guidance.

[0024] In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the following embodiments are specifically cited and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing personalized settings of output information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram showing a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 A flow chart showing a method for outputting voice in a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the urgency of voice information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5A schematic diagram showing the priority levels according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B A priority correspondence table of first information and second information according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a lighting mode of controlling indirect lighting based on first information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing a lighting mode of controlling indirect lighting based on first information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 100, 102: Voice Application

[0035] 104: Normal display plus additional information

[0036] 106: Navigation voice guidance

[0037] 108: Normal display

[0038] 200, 700: Navigation system

[0039] 202: Voice information acquisition unit

[0040] 204: Priority setting unit

[0041] 206: Control unit

[0042] 208: Indirect lighting

[0043] 210: Light control unit

[0044] 212: Vibrating body

[0045] 214: Vibration control unit

[0046] 216: Status detection unit

[0047] 218: Storage unit

[0048] 220: Identification unit

[0049] 402: Irregular route guidance

[0050] 404: Road restriction information / accident information

[0051] 406: High-urgency notification tone guidance

[0052] 408: Normal route guidance

[0053] 410: Low urgency notification tone guidance

[0054] 602, 604: Priority correspondence table

[0055] 702: Route information

[0056] 704, 706: Indirect lighting

[0057] 800: Seat

[0058] 802, 804: Vibration group

[0059] S302~S310: Steps DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0061] The embodiment of the present invention is to control the voice output of the navigation system based on the information related to the navigation system and the information related to the application (music, video, etc.) selected by the occupant, thereby improving the personalization (customization) of the output information without the need for passenger operation, thereby improving the marketability. In addition, by setting the priority according to the urgency of the output content of the navigation system, it is possible to prevent the loss of necessary information (such as timely information such as road restriction information and accident information).

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the personalized settings of output information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 , this embodiment changes the content of the voice output and navigation display in the car according to whether the passenger turns on the voice application 100. Among them, when the passenger does not turn on the voice application 100, the content of the voice output is the information of the navigation voice guidance 106, and the content of the navigation display is the navigation information usually displayed 108. When the passenger turns on the voice application 100, the content of the voice output will be changed to the content of the voice application 102, and the content of the navigation display will be the usual display (navigation information) plus additional information 104. That is, in addition to the navigation information that is usually displayed, the indirect lighting or seat vibration in the car is additionally used to assist in prompting the direction indicated by the navigation information. Through the above arrangement, the personalization (customization) of the output information is improved without the need for passenger operation, thereby improving the marketability.

[0063] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram showing a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2The navigation system 200 is, for example, configured in a vehicle, such as a car powered by an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric car powered by an electric motor, or a hybrid car having both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the navigation system 200 at least includes a voice information acquisition unit 202, a priority setting unit 204, and a control unit 206. In some embodiments, the navigation system 200 also includes an indirect lighting 208 disposed in the vehicle, a lamp control unit 210, a vibrating body 212 disposed inside the seat, a vibrating body control unit 214, a state detection unit 216, a storage unit 218, and an identification unit 220.

[0065] The voice information acquisition unit 202, the priority setting unit 204, the control unit 206, the light control unit 210, the vibration control unit 214, the state detection unit 216 and the identification unit 220 are, for example, program modules, and are executed by a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a single-core processor or / and a multi-core processor to implement the functions of the navigation system 200 of this embodiment. Among them, the light control unit 210 is used to control the lighting mode of the indirect lighting 208; the vibration control unit 214 is used to control the vibration mode of the vibration body 212; the state detection unit 216 is used to detect the state of the occupant; and the identification unit 220 is used to identify the driver.

[0066] The storage unit 218 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM) or / and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (E2PROM) for storing programs required for the operation of the navigation system 200.

[0067] In some embodiments, the storage unit 218 combines the vehicle's past driving records with the driver information for storage, and saves the driving records related to the current driving route as a basis for determining whether the current driving route has been driven in the past, or whether the current driver has driven the current route in the past.

[0068] Figure 3 A flowchart showing a method for outputting voice in a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The method of this embodiment is applicable to Figure 2The detailed steps of the voice output method of this embodiment are described below with reference to the various components in the navigation system 200.

[0069] In step S302, the voice information acquisition unit 202 acquires first information related to the navigation system 200 and second information related to the application selected by the passenger. The first information related to the navigation system 200 is the output content of the navigation system 200, such as vehicle position information, route guidance information, road restriction information, accident information, etc., and the second information related to the application selected by the passenger is the type or output content of the application, such as music, video, audio book, broadcast, media (TV), message, information reading, recommended information, etc. The present embodiment does not limit the type of information.

[0070] Next, the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority of the voice output of the navigation system 200 according to the first information and the second information, including determining whether the urgency of the first information is lower than or higher than a predetermined urgency in step S304.

[0071] If it is lower than the predetermined urgency level, then in step S306 , the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority level according to the second information; and if it is higher than the predetermined urgency level, then in step S308 , the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority level to be higher than the first priority level.

[0072] For example, Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the urgency of voice information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 In this embodiment, different voice information is distinguished according to the degree of urgency. Among them, the urgency of irregular route guidance 402, road restriction information / accident information 404 and notification sound guidance 406 with high urgency is higher than the predetermined urgency. At this time, the priority setting unit 204 will set the priority of these information to be higher than the first priority. On the other hand, the urgency of ordinary route guidance 408 and notification sound guidance 410 with low urgency is lower than the predetermined urgency. At this time, the priority setting unit 204 will set the priority according to this information.

[0073] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the priority of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 In this embodiment, the priority is divided into three levels: low, medium, and high according to the first priority and the second priority, wherein the priority higher than the first priority is the high priority, the priority between the first priority and the second priority is the medium priority, and the priority lower than the second priority is the low priority. Accordingly, the priority setting unit 204 can ensure that the information is outputted first by setting the priority of the information to be higher than the first priority, for example Figure 4 The irregular route guidance 402 or the road restriction information / accident information 404 in the navigation system 200 can be detected. Thus, the necessary information can be prevented from being lost. In addition, other voice information can be divided into three priorities of low, medium and high according to the importance of the corresponding application program, so that the control unit 206 of the navigation system 200 can control the voice output of the navigation system 200 according to the priority.

[0074] Back to Figure 3 After the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority, in step S310, the control unit 206 controls the voice output of the navigation system 200 according to the priority set by the priority setting unit 204.

[0075] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B A priority correspondence table of the first information and the second information of an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig. 6A The priority correspondence table 602 shows the priority correspondence relationship of the first information based on the second information (type of application), wherein the priority is based on Figure 5 The method shown is divided into three levels: low, medium, and high, and the judgment criteria are, for example, that content spanning a long time has a low priority (navigation is suppressed), and short (repetitive) content has a high priority (navigation is output). For example, irregular route guidance, road restriction information / accident information, and high-urgency notification sound guidance have a high priority compared to music, video, audio book, radio, etc.

[0076] Please refer to Figure 6B The priority correspondence table 604 shows the priority correspondence relationship of the first information based on the second voice information (the output content of the application), wherein the priority is based on Figure 5 The method shown is divided into three levels: low, medium, and high, and the judgment criteria are, for example, that timely content has a low priority (suppressing navigation) and non-timely content has a high priority (outputting navigation). For example, irregular route guidance, road restriction information / accident information, and high-urgency notification audio guidance have a high priority compared to media, messages, information reading, recommendations, and other applications.

[0077] exist Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In the example, different items for priority determination are provided according to different second information (type or output content). However, the items in the priority correspondence tables 602 and 604 are only examples. In actual applications, they can be appropriately set according to the functions that the vehicle or navigation system itself has or supports, and there is no limitation here.

[0078] In summary, by controlling the voice output of the navigation system based on information related to the navigation system and information related to the application (music, video, etc.) selected by the occupant, the marketability is improved because the personalization (customization) of the output information is improved without the need for passenger operation. In addition, by setting the priority according to the urgency of the first information (the output content of the navigation system), it is possible to prevent the loss of necessary information (timely information such as road restriction information and accident information).

[0079] In some embodiments, when the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be lower than the first priority, the control unit 206 may suppress the voice output of the navigation system 200. The manner of suppressing the voice output of the navigation system 200 includes reducing the volume of the voice output or adjusting it to mute.

[0080] For example, when the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be higher than the first priority (i.e., high priority), the control unit 206 controls the navigation system 200 to only output navigation voice; when the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be above the second priority and below the first priority (i.e., medium priority), the control unit 206 controls the navigation system 200 to normally output the navigation voice and suppress the voice of the application; when the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be lower than the second priority (i.e., low priority), the control unit 206 controls the navigation system 200 to only output the voice of the application.

[0081] Through the above method, the voice output of the navigation system is controlled based on information related to the navigation system and information related to the application (music, video, etc.) selected by the passenger, and the personalization (customization) of the output information can be improved without the need for passenger operation, thereby improving marketability.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the voice output of the navigation system 200 is suppressed, the navigation system 200 can control the lighting mode of the indirect lighting 208 based on the first information by the light body control unit 210, and turn on the indirect lighting 208 according to the indicated direction when the first information is route information. By lighting up the indirect lighting set in the vehicle together with the direction indication content when the voice output is suppressed, the driver can be reminded and marketability can be improved.

[0083] For example, Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a lighting mode for controlling indirect lighting based on first information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7When the navigation system 700 performs navigation voice guidance, if its voice output is suppressed and the information it outputs is route information 702, the indirect lighting 704 and 706 of the vehicle may be turned on according to the direction indicated by the route information 702. In this embodiment, based on the route information 702 indicating a left turn, the navigation system 700 may turn on the left indirect lighting 704 to flash, and speed up the flashing cycle when approaching the turning point, so that the driver can still receive a reminder to turn left when the navigation voice output is suppressed.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the voice output of the navigation system 200 is suppressed, the navigation system 200 may control the vibration mode of the vibration body 212 based on the first information by the vibration body control unit 214, and vibrate the vibration body 212 according to the indicated direction when the first information is route information. By vibrating the vibration body provided inside the vehicle seat in conjunction with the content of the direction indication when the voice output is suppressed, the driver can be reminded and marketability can be improved.

[0085] For example, Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing a lighting mode for controlling indirect lighting based on first information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 When the navigation system is providing navigation voice guidance, if its voice output is suppressed and the information it outputs is route information, the vibrating body groups 802 and 804 inside the vehicle seat 800 may be turned on according to the direction indicated by the route information. In this embodiment, based on the route information indicating a left turn, the navigation system may vibrate the left vibrating body group 802 and speed up the vibration cycle of the vibrating body group 802 when approaching a turn, so that the driver can still receive a reminder to turn left even when the navigation voice output is suppressed.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the voice output of the navigation system 200 is suppressed, the navigation system 200 may detect the state of the occupant by the state detection unit 216. The state detection unit 216 may detect whether the driver is fatigued by detecting whether the path of the vehicle is offset, whether it brakes suddenly, etc. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the state detection unit 216 may include a driver monitoring camera, and the driver's fatigue level may be calculated based on the driver's facial expression or the number of yawns in the image captured by the driver monitoring camera. When driver fatigue is detected, even if the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be lower than the first priority, the control unit 206 does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system 200. Therefore, when driver fatigue is detected, the voice output of the navigation system will not be suppressed, thereby improving the personalization of the output information.

[0087] In some embodiments, the navigation system 200 may store the past driving records of the vehicle in combination with the driver information in the storage unit 218 for comparison with the current driving route of the vehicle. When the storage unit 218 does not store the driving records related to the current driving route, even if the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be lower than the first priority, the control unit 206 does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system 200.

[0088] In some embodiments, the navigation system 200 further includes an identification unit 220 for identifying a driver, and the identification information obtained by the identification unit 220 for identifying the driver is compared with the driving record related to the current driving route stored in the storage unit 218. When the driver information in the driving record does not match the identification information of the identification unit 220, the control unit 206 does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system 200 even if the priority setting unit 204 sets the priority to be lower than the first priority.

[0089] In detail, when the driver is driving on the current road for the first time, he or she is likely to rely on the navigation system because he or she is unfamiliar with the local area. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when driving on the current road for the first time, the personalization of the output information can be improved by not suppressing the voice output of the navigation system 200.

[0090] In summary, the navigation system of the present invention controls the navigation system by determining the priority between the voice output of the application and the voice guidance of the navigation system according to the application information (voice type, application type) accompanying the voice output. In addition, when the voice output of the navigation system is suppressed, the indirect lighting in the car or the vibrating body in the seat is controlled to prompt the driver with guidance information, and the voice output of the navigation system is not suppressed by detecting the driver's state or driving record, and when it is detected that the driver is tired or unfamiliar with the current route, to prevent the loss of necessary information. In this way, the personalization of the output information can be improved and the marketability can be improved.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A navigation system for providing vehicle position information, characterized in that: include: a voice information acquisition unit, which acquires first information related to the navigation system and second information related to the application selected by the passenger; a priority setting unit, which sets the priority of the voice output of the navigation system according to the first information and the second information; as well as a control unit, controlling the voice output of the navigation system according to the priority, wherein The first information is output content of the navigation system, The second information is the type or output content of the application program. The priority setting unit is When the urgency of the first information is lower than a predetermined urgency, setting the priority according to the second information, and When the urgency level of the first information is higher than the predetermined urgency level, the priority level is set higher than the first priority level.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit suppresses voice output of the navigation system when the priority setting unit sets the priority level to be lower than the first priority level.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: Indirect lighting installed in the vehicle; as well as A lamp control unit controls the lighting mode of the indirect lighting based on the first information, wherein The lamp control unit is When the first information is route information, the indirect lighting is turned on according to the indicated direction.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: a vibrating body disposed inside the seat; as well as A vibration body control unit controls the vibration mode of the vibration body based on the first information, wherein The vibrator control unit is When the first information is route information, the vibrating body is vibrated according to an indicated direction.

5. The navigation system according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: A state detection unit detects the state of the occupant, wherein When the state detection unit detects driver fatigue, the control unit does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system even if the priority setting unit sets the priority level lower than the first priority level.

6. The navigation system according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: A storage unit combines the vehicle's past driving records with the driver's information for storage, wherein When the storage unit does not store the travel record related to the current travel route, the control unit does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system even if the priority setting unit sets the priority level lower than the first priority level.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: an identification unit, identifying the driver, wherein The storage unit stores the driving record related to the current driving route. When the driver information does not match the identification information of the identification unit, the control unit does not suppress the voice output of the navigation system even if the priority setting unit sets the priority level lower than the first priority level.

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