Sound output apparatus, sound output method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a voice output device or the like capable of appropriately providing information in consideration of a degree of recognition of a user about a facility or the like.SOLUTION: In a voice output device, acquisition means acquires facility information including a plurality of pieces of information with different degrees of detail from basic information to detailed information. The determination means determines whether or not the voice output device or the facility to be provided with information is within the living area of the user. The output means outputs the facility information including the basic information when the voice output device or the facility to be provided with the information is outside the living area of the user, and outputs the facility information not including the basic information when the voice output device or the facility to be provided with the information is within the living area of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology that can be used in outputting content. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a voice navigation device that provides guidance to a destination mainly by voice alone, without displaying a map or the like on a display device. Patent Document 1 discloses a communication-type voice navigation device that communicates with a center and outputs guidance information by voice to guide the route to the destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-2567 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] While receiving route guidance to a destination, the user may be provided with information about facilities along or near the route. In this case, if information that the user already knows is output as voice output, it may be annoying to the user or may cause a burden on the driver.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its main purpose is to provide an audio output device that can provide appropriate information taking into account the user's level of awareness of facilities, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The claimed invention is an audio output device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring facility information about a facility to be provided with information, the facility information including basic facility information pre-classified into multiple levels of detail as basic information, and detailed facility information pre-classified into multiple levels of detail as detailed information more detailed than the basic information; a determination means for determining whether the audio output device or the facility is within a user's living area; an output means for outputting the basic facility information about the facility as first output information if the audio output device or the facility is outside the user's living area, and outputting the detailed facility information about the facility as the first output information if the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; and a detection means for detecting a response of the user to the outputted first output information, wherein the output means outputs the facility information corresponding to a higher level of detail than the first output information as second output information based on the user's response, regardless of whether the basic facility information or the detailed facility information is output as the first output information.

[0007] The claimed invention is also an audio output method executed by a computer provided in an audio output device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring facility information about a facility to be provided with information, the facility information including basic facility information pre-classified into multiple levels of detail as basic information, and detailed facility information pre-classified into multiple levels of detail as detailed information more detailed than the basic information; a determination step of determining whether the audio output device or the facility is within a user's living area; an output step of outputting the basic facility information about the facility as first output information if the audio output device or the facility is outside the user's living area, and outputting the detailed facility information about the facility as the first output information if the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; and a detection step of detecting a response of the user to the outputted first output information, wherein the output step outputs the facility information corresponding to a higher level of detail than the first output information as second output information based on the user's response, regardless of whether the basic facility information or the detailed facility information is output as the first output information.

[0008] The claimed invention is also a program executed by a computer provided in an audio output device, which causes the computer to function as: acquisition means for acquiring facility information about a facility to be provided with information, the facility information including basic facility information pre-classified into multiple levels of detail as basic information, and detailed facility information pre-classified into multiple levels of detail as detailed information more detailed than the basic information; determination means for determining whether the audio output device or the facility is within a user's living area; output means for outputting the basic facility information about the facility as first output information if the audio output device or the facility is outside the user's living area, and outputting the detailed facility information about the facility as first output information if the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; and detection means for detecting the user's response to the outputted first output information, wherein the output means outputs the facility information corresponding to a higher level of detail than the first output information as second output information based on the user's response, regardless of whether the basic facility information or the detailed facility information is output as the first output information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an audio output system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an audio output device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a server device. [Figure 4] 3 shows an example of a data structure of facility information in the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of an information providing process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 shows an example of the voice output of facility information by the voice output device and a response from the user. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of an information providing process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of an information providing process according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the audio output device comprises an acquisition means for acquiring facility information including multiple pieces of information with different levels of detail from basic information to detailed information, a determination means for determining whether the audio output device or the facility for which information is provided is within the user's living area, and an output means for outputting facility information including the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is provided is outside the user's living area, and outputting facility information not including the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is provided is within the user's living area.

[0011] In the above-described audio output device, the acquisition means acquires facility information including multiple pieces of information with different levels of detail, from basic information to detailed information. The determination means determines whether the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area. The output means outputs facility information including the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is outside the user's living area, and outputs facility information without the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area. This makes it possible to provide the user with appropriate facility information depending on whether the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area.

[0012] One aspect of the above audio output device includes a detection unit that detects a user's response to the output facility information, and the output unit outputs, from the plurality of pieces of information, more detailed information than the output facility information based on the user's response. In this aspect, the more detailed information is output based on the user's response to the output facility information.

[0013] In another aspect of the above audio output device, the output means predicts the user's level of interest based on the user's response and outputs the detailed information based on the predicted level of interest. In a preferred example, the output means outputs the detailed information when the user's level of interest is predicted to be high. On the other hand, the output means does not output the detailed information when no user response is detected.

[0014] In another aspect of the audio output device, the facility information including the basic information and the facility information not including the basic information include a plurality of pieces of information with different levels of detail. In this aspect, the facility information including the plurality of pieces of information is output collectively.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the audio output method acquires facility information including multiple pieces of information with different levels of detail, from basic information to detailed information, determines whether the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area, and outputs facility information including the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is outside the user's living area, and outputs facility information without the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area. This method also makes it possible to provide the user with appropriate facility information depending on whether the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a program causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring facility information including multiple pieces of information with different levels of detail, from basic information to detailed information, determining whether an audio output device or a facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area, and outputting facility information including the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is outside the user's living area, and outputting facility information without the basic information if the audio output device or the facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area. By executing this program on a computer, the above-mentioned content output device can be realized. This program can be stored in a storage medium and used. [Example]

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. <System configuration> [Overall configuration] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an audio output system according to an embodiment. The audio output system 1 according to the embodiment includes an audio output device 100 and a server device 200. The audio output device 100 is mounted on a vehicle Ve. The server device 200 communicates with a plurality of audio output devices 100 mounted on a plurality of vehicles Ve.

[0018] The audio output device 100 basically performs route guidance processing, information provision processing, and the like for a user who is a passenger in a vehicle Ve. For example, when a destination or the like is input by the user, the audio output device 100 transmits an upload signal S1 including location information of the vehicle Ve and information related to the specified destination to the server device 200. The server device 200 calculates a route to the destination by referring to map data, and transmits a control signal S2 indicating the route to the destination to the audio output device 100. The audio output device 100 provides route guidance to the user by audio output based on the received control signal S2.

[0019] Furthermore, the audio output device 100 provides various types of information to the user through dialogue with the user. For example, when the user makes an information request, the audio output device 100 supplies the server device 200 with an upload signal S1 including information indicating the content or type of the information request and information regarding the running state of the vehicle Ve. The server device 200 acquires and generates the information requested by the user and transmits it to the audio output device 100 as a control signal S2. The audio output device 100 provides the received information to the user by audio output.

[0020] [Audio output device] The audio output device 100 travels with the vehicle Ve and provides route guidance primarily through audio so that the vehicle Ve travels along the guidance route. Note that "route guidance primarily through audio" refers to route guidance that allows the user to understand information necessary for driving the vehicle Ve along the guidance route at least through audio alone, and does not exclude the audio output device 100 supplementarily displaying a map or the like around the current location. In this embodiment, the audio output device 100 outputs various driving-related information by audio, such as at least points on the route where guidance is required (also referred to as "guidance points"). Herein, guidance points include, for example, intersections where the vehicle Ve must turn right or left, and other important passing points for the vehicle Ve to travel along the guidance route. The audio output device 100 provides audio guidance regarding guidance points, such as the distance from the vehicle Ve to the next guidance point and the direction of travel at that guidance point. Hereinafter, audio guidance regarding the guidance route will also be referred to as "route audio guidance."

[0021] The audio output device 100 is attached, for example, to the top of the windshield or on the dashboard of the vehicle Ve. The audio output device 100 may also be incorporated into the vehicle Ve.

[0022] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the audio output device 100. The audio output device 100 mainly includes a communication unit 111, a storage unit 112, an input unit 113, a control unit 114, a sensor group 115, a display unit 116, a microphone 117, a speaker 118, an exterior camera 119, and an interior camera 120. The elements within the audio output device 100 are connected to each other via a bus line 110.

[0023] The communication unit 111 performs data communication with the server device 200 under the control of the control unit 114. The communication unit 111 may receive, for example, map data for updating a map DB (DataBase) 4 (described later) from the server device 200.

[0024] The storage unit 112 is configured with various types of memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a non-volatile memory (including a hard disk drive, a flash memory, etc.). The storage unit 112 stores programs for the audio output device 100 to execute predetermined processes. The above-mentioned programs may include an application program for providing route voice guidance, an application program for playing music, an application program for outputting content other than music (such as television), etc. The storage unit 112 is also used as a working memory for the control unit 114. The programs executed by the audio output device 100 may be stored in a storage medium other than the storage unit 112.

[0025] The storage unit 112 also stores a map database (hereinafter, database will be referred to as "DB") 4. The map DB 4 stores various data necessary for route guidance. The map DB 4 stores, for example, road data that represents a road network using a combination of nodes and links, and facility data that indicates facilities that are candidates for destinations, stop-off points, or landmarks. The map DB 4 may be updated based on map information that the communication unit 111 receives from a map management server under the control of the control unit 114.

[0026] The input unit 113 is a button, a touch panel, a remote controller, or the like that is operated by the user. The display unit 116 is a display or the like that displays information under the control of the control unit 114. The microphone 117 collects sounds inside the vehicle Ve, particularly sounds uttered by the driver. The speaker 118 outputs audio for route guidance to the driver or the like.

[0027] The sensor group 115 includes an external sensor 121 and an internal sensor 122. The external sensor 121 is one or more sensors for recognizing the surrounding environment of the vehicle Ve, such as a lidar, radar, ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, or sonar. The internal sensor 122 is a sensor for measuring the position of the vehicle Ve, such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a gyro sensor, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a vehicle speed sensor, or a combination thereof. Note that the sensor group 115 may include any sensor that allows the control unit 114 to directly or indirectly (i.e., by performing estimation processing) derive the position of the vehicle Ve from the output of the sensor group 115.

[0028] Exterior camera 119 is a camera that captures the outside of vehicle Ve. Exterior camera 119 may be only a front camera that captures the view in front of the vehicle, or may include a rear camera that captures the view behind the vehicle in addition to the front camera, or may be an omnidirectional camera that can capture the entire periphery of vehicle Ve. On the other hand, interior camera 120 is a camera that captures the interior of vehicle Ve, and is installed in a position that can capture at least the area around the driver's seat.

[0029] The control unit 114 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and controls the entire audio output device 100. For example, the control unit 114 estimates the position (including the direction of travel) of the vehicle Ve based on the output of one or more sensors in the sensor group 115. When a destination is specified by the input unit 113 or the microphone 117, the control unit 114 generates route information indicating a guidance route that is a route to the destination, and provides route voice guidance based on the route information, the estimated position information of the vehicle Ve, and the map DB 4. In this case, the control unit 114 outputs the guidance voice from the speaker 118. The control unit 114 also controls the display unit 116 to display information on the music being played, video content, a map of the area around the current location, etc. The control unit 114 is an example of an output means, a determination means, and a detection means.

[0030] The processing performed by the control unit 114 is not limited to being realized by software programs, but may be realized by any combination of hardware, firmware, and software. The processing performed by the control unit 114 may also be realized by a user-programmable integrated circuit, such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or a microcomputer. In this case, the program executed by the control unit 114 in this embodiment may be realized by using this integrated circuit. In this way, the control unit 114 may be realized by hardware other than a processor.

[0031] The configuration of the audio output device 100 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and various modifications may be made to the configuration shown in FIG. 2. For example, instead of storing the map DB4 in the memory unit 112, the control unit 114 may receive information necessary for route guidance from the server device 200 via the communication unit 111. In another example, instead of including the speaker 118, the audio output device 100 may be electrically connected to an audio output unit configured separately from the audio output device 100 or via a known communication means, thereby outputting audio from the audio output unit. In this case, the audio output unit may be a speaker provided in the vehicle Ve. In yet another example, the audio output device 100 may not include the display unit 116. In this case, the audio output device 100 may not perform any control related to the display, and may execute a predetermined display by electrically connecting, via wire or wireless, to a display unit provided in the vehicle Ve or a user's smartphone or the like. Similarly, instead of including the sensor group 115, the audio output device 100 may acquire information output by sensors provided in the vehicle Ve from the vehicle Ve based on a communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0032] [Server device] The server device 200 generates route information indicating a guide route along which the vehicle Ve should travel, based on an upload signal S1 including a destination and the like received from the audio output device 100. The server device 200 then generates a control signal S2 related to information output in response to the user's information request, based on the user's information request and the traveling state of the vehicle Ve indicated in the upload signal S1 transmitted thereafter by the audio output device 100. The server device 200 then transmits the generated control signal S2 to the audio output device 100.

[0033] Furthermore, the server device 200 generates content for providing information to the user of the vehicle Ve and for dialogue with the user, and transmits the content to the audio output device 100. The provision of information to the user mainly includes push-type information provision initiated by the server device 200 side when triggered by the vehicle Ve entering a predetermined driving situation. Furthermore, the dialogue with the user is basically pull-type dialogue initiated by a question or inquiry from the user. However, the dialogue with the user may also be initiated by push-type information provision.

[0034] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the server device 200. The server device 200 mainly includes a communication unit 211, a storage unit 212, and a control unit 214. The elements within the server device 200 are connected to each other via a bus line 210.

[0035] The communication unit 211 performs data communication with external devices such as the audio output device 100 under the control of the control unit 214. The storage unit 212 is configured with various types of memory such as RAM, ROM, and non-volatile memory (including a hard disk drive, flash memory, etc.). The storage unit 212 stores programs for the server device 200 to execute predetermined processes. The storage unit 212 also includes a map DB4.

[0036] The control unit 214 includes a CPU, a GPU, etc., and controls the entire server device 200. The control unit 214 also operates together with the audio output device 100 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 212, and performs route guidance processing and information provision processing for the user. For example, the control unit 214 generates route information indicating a guidance route or a control signal S2 related to information output in response to an information request from the user, based on an upload signal S1 received from the audio output device 100 via the communication unit 211. Then, the control unit 214 transmits the generated control signal S2 to the audio output device 100 via the communication unit 211. The control unit 214 is an example of an acquisition means, a determination means, an output means, and a detection means.

[0037] <Push-type information provision> Next, push-type information provision will be described. Push-type information provision refers to the audio output device 100 audibly outputting information related to a driving situation of the vehicle Ve to the user when the vehicle Ve is in a predetermined driving situation. Specifically, the audio output device 100 acquires driving situation information indicating the driving situation of the vehicle Ve based on the output of the sensor group 115 as described above, and transmits the information to the server device 200. The server device 200 stores table data for performing push-type information provision in the storage unit 212. The server device 200 refers to the table data, and when the driving situation information received from the audio output device 100 installed in the vehicle Ve matches a trigger condition defined in the table data, the server device 200 acquires output information using text data corresponding to the trigger condition and transmits the information to the audio output device 100. The audio output device 100 audibly outputs the output information received from the server device 200. In this way, information corresponding to the driving situation of the vehicle Ve is audibly output to the user.

[0038] The driving situation information may include at least one piece of information that can be acquired based on the functions of each unit of the audio output device 100, such as the position of the vehicle Ve, the direction of the vehicle, traffic information around the position of the vehicle Ve (including speed limits and congestion information), the current time, the destination, etc. The driving situation information may also include any of the voice (excluding the user's speech) acquired by the microphone 117, the image captured by the external camera 119, and the image captured by the internal camera 120. The driving situation information may also include information received from the server device 200 via the communication unit 111.

[0039] <Provision of facility information> Next, the provision of facility information will be described as an example of the above-mentioned push-type information provision. The provision of facility information refers to recommending to the user facilities that are located on or near the route that the vehicle Ve is scheduled to travel.

[0040] [Facility Information] Fig. 4 shows an example of the data structure of facility information in an embodiment. The example in Fig. 4 is facility information about a certain facility X, which is prepared by classifying it into a plurality of detail levels (six levels in this example) as shown. Note that in Fig. 4, the smaller the numerical value of the detail level, the lower the degree of detail, i.e., the more general the information, and the larger the numerical value of the detail level, the higher the degree of detail, i.e., the more detailed the information.

[0041] Specifically, level 1 is the least detailed level, and level 1 information corresponds to a category such as an overview of a facility. An example of level 1 information is "There is a restaurant up ahead."

[0042] Level 2 is the second lowest level of detail, and level 2 information corresponds to categories such as facility location, distance, and directions. Examples of level 2 information include "It's about 5 minutes from here," and "Turn left at the next intersection and it's about 500 meters away."

[0043] Level 3 is the third least detailed level, and level 3 information corresponds to the category of information registration recommendations. Examples of level 3 information include "BB has bookmarked restaurant AA. How about you?" and "You can bookmark restaurant AA on your smartphone."

[0044] Level 4 is the third most detailed level, and level 4 information corresponds to the category of detailed facility information. Examples of level 4 information include "There is parking for 10 cars," "The lunch set is 1,200 yen," and "The cake set is 500 yen."

[0045] Level 5 is the second most detailed level, and level 5 information corresponds to the category of information for visiting the facility. Examples of level 5 information include "You can add restaurant AA to your current route" and "You can make a reservation for restaurant AA now."

[0046] Level 6 is the most detailed level, and level 6 information corresponds to the category of follow-up information after a visit to a facility. Examples of level 6 information include "Visit three more times and get a free cup of coffee," "Was it a good experience?", and "Rate the facility on a 5-point scale."

[0047] In this way, facility information according to the embodiment is prepared by classifying it into a plurality of levels of detail. When providing facility information, the information is provided in order from the lowest level of detail to the highest level of detail. In the example of FIG. 4, the level of detail is set to six levels, but this is merely an example, and the level of detail may be classified into more or less levels. Furthermore, the information categories corresponding to each level of detail are merely an example, and information of other categories may be used.

[0048] [How to provide facility information] Next, a method for providing the above facility information to the user will be described. Basically, the server 200 determines facility information to be provided to the user based on driving status information of the vehicle Ve transmitted from the audio output device 100 by an upload signal S1 or the user's response to the information provided, and transmits the facility information to the audio output device 100 by a control signal S2. The audio output device 100 outputs the facility information included in the control signal S2 received from the server 200 to the user by voice.

[0049] (First Example) First, a first embodiment of a facility information providing method will be described. In the first embodiment, the audio output device 100 gradually outputs facility information classified into multiple detail levels as described above. Specifically, the audio output device 100 first outputs information with the lowest detail level and detects a user's response to the information. If the audio output device 100 predicts that the user is interested in the facility information based on the user's response, it outputs information with a next higher detail level. In this way, if the audio output device 100 receives a user response and predicts that the user is highly interested in the facility, it continues to output information with a higher detail level. This allows more detailed information to be provided to users who are interested in the facility. On the other hand, if the user does not respond or if the user's response predicts that the user is not very interested, the audio output device 100 stops providing information and does not provide more detailed information. This prevents the user from being provided with information they do not want, which can be bothersome or affect their driving.

[0050] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the information provision process according to the first embodiment. This process is realized by the server device 200 shown in Fig. 3 controlling the audio output device 100. It is assumed that the server device 200 provides information about facility X using the facility information shown in Fig. 4.

[0051] First, the control unit 114 of the audio output device 100 acquires driving situation information relating to the current driving situation of the vehicle Ve, and transmits the driving situation information to the server device 200. The server device 200 acquires the driving situation information from the audio output device 100 (step S11).

[0052] Next, the control unit 214 of the server device 200 determines whether the vehicle Ve is within an area for which facility information is provided, based on the driving status information acquired in step S11 (step S12). That is, the control unit 214 determines whether the driving status information of the vehicle Ve satisfies a trigger condition for providing facility information of facility X. For example, the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is within an area for which facility information is provided, when the current location of the vehicle Ve is within a predetermined distance from the location of facility X. Note that in addition to the distance from facility X, if facility X is an eating and drinking establishment such as a restaurant or cafe, the current time may also be taken into consideration.

[0053] If the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is not within the area where facility information is provided (step S12: No), the control unit 214 ends the process. On the other hand, if the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is within the area where facility information is provided (step S12: Yes), the control unit 214 first outputs information with a level of detail of 1, i.e., the most general information, by voice (step S13).

[0054] Next, the control unit 214 determines whether or not there has been a response from the user after the output of the information at detail level 1 (step S14). Note that the user's response includes, for example, a voice response or an operation on the input unit 113. If there has been no response from the user (step S14: No), the control unit 214 determines that the user is not interested in the facility and ends the process.

[0055] On the other hand, if there is a response from the user (step S14: Yes), the control unit 214 analyzes the user's response and determines whether the user's level of interest is high (step S15). For example, if the user's response is positive, the control unit 214 determines that the user's level of interest is high. On the other hand, if the user's response is negative, the control unit 214 determines that the user's level of interest is low. Whether the user's response is positive or negative can be determined, for example, by analyzing the user's voice response. If the user's level of interest is low (step S15: No), the process ends.

[0056] On the other hand, if the user's interest level is high (step S15: Yes), the control unit 214 determines whether or not there is information with a higher level of detail (step S16). If there is no information with a higher level of detail (step S16: No), the processing ends. On the other hand, if there is information with a higher level of detail (step S16: Yes), the control unit 214 outputs information with a higher level of detail, for example, information with a level of detail one level higher (step S17). Then, the processing returns to step S14.

[0057] In this way, after outputting information at a certain level of detail, the control unit 214 detects the user's response and predicts the user's level of interest in the facility. If it determines that the user's level of interest is high, the control unit 214 outputs further information at a higher level of detail than the previously output information. In this way, as long as the user continues to show interest in the output information, the control unit 214 outputs more detailed information about the facility. This makes it possible to provide sufficient information according to the user's request.

[0058] Fig. 6 shows an example of the audio output of facility information by the audio output device 100 and a user's response. In this example, the audio output device 100 outputs the facility information by audio based on the facility information shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 6, "V1" to "V6" indicate audio outputs, and "R1" to "R7" indicate user responses.

[0059] First, the audio output device 100 outputs, as audio output V1, audio output "There is a restaurant AA up ahead" with a level of detail level of 1. In response to this, the user may utter, as a response R1, "Tell me more," "Where is it?", or the like, or the user may click on the URL of restaurant AA displayed on the smartphone operating as the display unit 116.

[0060] The audio output device 100 determines that the user has a high level of interest based on the user's response R1, and outputs, as audio output V2, an audio output with a level of detail of 2, such as "It's about 5 minutes from here." In response to this, the user utters, as response R2, "Is it popular?", "Is it delicious?", or the like.

[0061] The audio output device 100 determines that the user has a high level of interest based on the user's response R2, and outputs, as audio output V3, an audio output with a level of detail of 3, such as "BB has bookmarked restaurant AA. How about you?" In response to this, the user may perform a bookmark registration operation or utter, as response R3, such as "Is there a parking lot?" or "How much does it cost?"

[0062] The voice output device 100 determines that the user has a high level of interest based on the user's response R3, and outputs, as voice output V4, voice output with a level of detail level of 4, such as "There is parking for 10 cars," or "The lunch set is 1,200 yen." In response to this, the user utters, as response R4, such as "Okay, I'm on my way," or "How do I get there?"

[0063] The voice output device 100 determines that the user has a high level of interest based on the user's response R4, and outputs a voice output V5 with a detail level of 5, "You can add restaurant AA to your current route." In response to this, the user responds R5 by uttering, for example, "Okay, add it," and then responds R6 by actually visiting the facility. Note that the fact that the user has visited the facility can be detected from the location information of the vehicle Ve.

[0064] The audio output device 100 determines that the user has a high level of interest based on the user's response R6, and after visiting the facility, outputs audio output V6 with a detail level of 6, such as "Was it a good store?" or "Please rate the store on a scale of 1 to 5." In response to this, if the user rates the facility as response R7, the audio output device 100 stores the user's rating and ends providing information about the facility.

[0065] In this way, the audio output device 100 can provide more detailed information when it is predicted that the user will be highly interested based on the user's response. Note that, as in the above example, the user's response is not limited to an utterance by the user, but can also include an instruction or operation for acquiring information about the facility, an instruction or operation for storing information about the facility, a visit to the facility, an input of an evaluation of the facility, etc.

[0066] (Second Example) Next, a second embodiment of the facility information providing method will be described. In the first embodiment, the audio output device 100 outputs facility information starting from information with the lowest level of detail. However, if the facility for which information is to be provided is within the user's living area, the user is likely already aware of the facility. For example, the user is likely to know the existence and location of the facility even if they do not know the details of the facility.

[0067] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the level of detail at which provision of facility information starts is changed depending on whether the target facility is within the user's living area. Specifically, if the target facility is outside the user's living area, the audio output device 100 outputs facility information including basic information, and if the target facility is within the user's living area, it outputs facility information without the basic information.

[0068] Here, the basic information is defined as information with a low level of detail, such as an overview of the facility. For example, in the example of facility information shown in FIG. 4, information with detail levels 1 and 2 is defined as basic information, and information with detail levels 3 to 6 is defined as detailed information. If the target facility is outside the user's living area, the audio output device 100 first outputs information with detail level 1, as in the first embodiment, and then outputs information with higher detail levels in sequence according to the user's response. On the other hand, if the target facility is within the user's living area, it is assumed that the user knows the overview and location of the facility. Therefore, the audio output device 100 does not output information with detail levels 1 and 2, which correspond to basic information, but starts by outputting information with detail level 3. Thereafter, the audio output device 100 outputs information with higher detail levels in sequence according to the user's response.

[0069] The user's living area can be determined based on, for example, the past driving history of the user's vehicle Ve. Alternatively, the user may set his or her own living area in advance, centered around his or her home or office.

[0070] 7 is a flowchart of information provision processing according to Example 2. This processing is realized by the server device 200 shown in FIG.

[0071] First, the control unit 114 of the audio output device 100 acquires driving situation information relating to the current driving situation of the vehicle Ve, and transmits the driving situation information to the server device 200. The server device 200 acquires the driving situation information from the audio output device 100 (step S21).

[0072] Next, the control unit 214 of the server device 200 determines whether the vehicle Ve is within an area where facility information is provided, based on the driving status information acquired in step S21 (step S22). That is, the control unit 214 determines whether the driving status information of the vehicle Ve satisfies a trigger condition for providing certain facility information. For example, if the current location of the vehicle Ve is within a predetermined distance from the location of a certain facility, the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is within an area where facility information is provided.

[0073] If the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is not within the area for which facility information is provided (step S22: No), it terminates the process. On the other hand, if the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is within the area for which facility information is provided (step S22: Yes), it determines the level of detail of the facility information to be output based on whether the current location of the vehicle Ve is within the user's living area (step S23). For example, as described above, it is assumed that detail levels 1 and 2 in FIG. 4 are used as basic information. In this case, the control unit 214 determines to output information of detail level 1 when the current location of the vehicle Ve is outside the user's living area. On the other hand, the control unit 214 determines to output information of detail level 3 when the current location of the vehicle Ve is within the user's living area. Then, the control unit 214 outputs the information of the determined level of detail by voice (step S24).

[0074] The subsequent processing of steps S25 to S28 is the same as steps S14 to S17 of the information provision processing of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] In this way, in the second embodiment, if the facility is within the user's living area, the output of basic information is omitted and more detailed information is output, thereby preventing the output of information that the user already knows and making it possible to efficiently provide information that is useful to the user.

[0076] In the above information provision process, the control unit 214 outputs facility information classified into multiple detail levels in small increments in response to the user's response, as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the control unit 214 may output the facility information all at once rather than in small increments. Specifically, when the current location of the vehicle Ve is outside the user's living area, the control unit 214 outputs information at multiple detail levels selected from the lowest detail level, including detail level 1, for example, information at detail levels 1 to 3, all at once. On the other hand, when the current location of the vehicle Ve is within the user's living area, the control unit 214 outputs information at multiple detail levels selected from the lowest detail level, including detail level 3, for example, information at detail levels 3 to 5, all at once. This method also makes it possible to prevent information that the user already knows from being output and to efficiently provide information useful to the user.

[0077] In the above-described information provision process, the control unit 214 determines the level of detail of the information to be output based on whether or not the current location of the vehicle Ve is within the user's living area in step S23. Alternatively, the control unit 214 may determine the level of detail of the information to be output based on whether or not the target facility is within the user's living area.

[0078] (Third Example) Next, a third embodiment of the facility information providing method will be described. In the first embodiment, the audio output device 100 first outputs information with the lowest level of detail. In the second embodiment, the audio output device 100 changes the level of detail of the facility information to be initially output depending on the location of the vehicle Ve or whether the facility is within the user's living area. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the audio output device 100 determines the level of detail of the facility information to be initially output depending on the number of times the user has visited the facility for which information is to be provided.

[0079] Specifically, assume that there is facility information classified into multiple detail levels as shown in FIG. 4. When a user visits facility X for the first time, the audio output device 100 outputs information at detail level 1. When the user subsequently visits facility X for the second time, the audio output device 100 again outputs information at detail level 2, rather than outputting information at detail level 1. Similarly, when the user visits facility X for the third time, the audio output device 100 outputs information at detail level 3. In this way, the audio output device 100 provides information with a higher degree of detail as the number of visits by the user increases. This makes it possible to provide detailed information that the user is not aware of, depending on the user's level of recognition of the facility.

[0080] After providing facility information according to the number of visits to a facility, the audio output device 100 may determine whether to output more detailed information based on the user's response. For example, if the user's response after outputting facility information is negative, the audio output device 100 may determine that the user is not interested in the facility and may not output information about the facility the next time the user visits. Conversely, if the user's response after outputting facility information is positive, the audio output device 100 may determine that the user is interested in the facility and may immediately output more detailed information without waiting for the next visit. The audio output device 100 transmits information, such as the number of visits the user has made to each facility and whether the user's response after outputting the information was positive or negative, to the server 200. The server 200 associates the received information with the user and stores it in the storage unit 212 or the like.

[0081] If the user has not visited the facility for a predetermined period of time, the number of visits may be reset. In this case, the predetermined period can be set to, for example, six months or one year. Assume now that the predetermined period is set to one year. In this case, if the user visits a facility for the second time within one year after visiting it, the audio output device 100 outputs information with a level of detail of 2. On the other hand, if the user visits a facility for the second time more than one year after visiting it, the audio output device 100 outputs information with a level of detail of 1. In this case, the audio output device 100 transmits the user's visit history to each facility to the server 200, and the server 200 stores the user's visit history in association with the user.

[0082] Fig. 8 is a flowchart of an information provision process according to the third embodiment. This process is realized by the server device 200 shown in Fig. 3 controlling the audio output device 100. It is assumed here that information about facility X is provided using the facility information shown in Fig. 4.

[0083] First, the control unit 114 of the audio output device 100 acquires driving situation information relating to the current driving situation of the vehicle Ve, and transmits the driving situation information to the server device 200. The server device 200 acquires the driving situation information from the audio output device 100 (step S31).

[0084] Next, the control unit 214 of the server device 200 determines whether the vehicle Ve is within an area where facility information is provided, based on the driving situation information acquired in step S31 (step S32). For example, if the current location of the vehicle Ve is within a predetermined distance from the location of facility X, the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is within an area where facility information is provided.

[0085] If the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is not within the area for which facility information is provided (step S32: No), it ends the processing. On the other hand, if the control unit 214 determines that the vehicle Ve is within the area for which facility information is provided (step S32: Yes), it outputs facility information according to the number of times the user has visited facility X (step S33). For example, when the user visits facility X for the first time, the control unit 214 outputs information with a level of detail 1. When the user visits facility X for the second time, the control unit 214 outputs information with a level of detail 2. Note that, when the control unit 214 determines in step S32 that the vehicle Ve is within the area for which facility information is provided, it updates the total number of times the user has visited facility X, and transmits it to the server 200 for storage.

[0086] Next, the control unit 214 determines whether or not there is a response from the user after the facility information is output in step S33 (step S34). If there is no response from the user (step S34: No), the control unit 214 determines that the user is not interested in the facility and ends the process.

[0087] On the other hand, if the user responds (step S34: Yes), the control unit 214 analyzes the user's response and determines whether the user's response is positive or negative (step S35). Whether the user's reaction is positive or negative can be determined, for example, by analyzing the user's answering voice. If the user's response is not positive (step S35: No), the process ends.

[0088] On the other hand, if the user's response is positive (step S35: Yes), the control unit 214 determines whether or not there is information with a higher level of detail (step S36). If there is no information with a higher level of detail (step S36: No), the processing ends. On the other hand, if there is information with a higher level of detail (step S36: Yes), the control unit 214 outputs information with a higher level of detail, specifically, information with a level of detail one level higher (step S37). Then, the processing returns to step S34.

[0089] Thus, in the third embodiment, the control unit 214 first outputs facility information with a level of detail corresponding to the number of times the user has visited facility X. Thereafter, if the user's response is positive, the control unit 214 outputs information with a higher level of detail. On the other hand, if the user's response is negative or if there is no information with a higher level of detail, the control unit 214 ends the process.

[0090] In this way, the audio output device 100 provides more detailed information as the number of times the user visits the facility increases, making it possible to provide information that the user does not know, i.e., more useful information to the user, according to the user's awareness of the facility.

[0091] [Variations] In the above-described embodiments, the program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and supplied to a control unit, such as a computer. The non-transitory computer-readable media includes various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)).

[0092] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications within the scope of the present invention that would be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible for those skilled in the art based on the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical ideas. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited patent documents and other documents are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 100 Audio output device 200 Server device 111, 211 Communications Department 112, 212 Storage section 113 Input section 114, 214 Control unit 115 Sensor Group 116 Display section 117 Mike 118 Speaker 119 Exterior Camera 120 In-car camera

Claims

1. An audio output device, an acquisition means for acquiring facility information about facilities to be provided, the facility information including basic facility information classified in advance into a plurality of levels of detail as basic information, and detailed facility information classified in advance into a plurality of levels of detail as detailed information more detailed than the basic information; a determination means for determining whether the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; an output means for outputting the basic facility information about the facility as first output information when the audio output device or the facility is outside the user's living area, and for outputting the detailed facility information about the facility as first output information when the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; a detection means for detecting a response of the user to the output first output information; Equipped with The output means is an audio output device that outputs, based on the user's response, the facility information corresponding to a higher level of detail than the first output information as second output information, regardless of whether the facility basic information or the facility detailed information is output as the first output information.

2. 2. The audio output device according to claim 1, wherein the output means predicts a level of interest of the user based on the user's response, and outputs the second output information based on the predicted level of interest.

3. The audio output device according to claim 2 , wherein the output means outputs the second output information when it is predicted that the user has a high level of interest.

4. The audio output device according to claim 1 , wherein the output means does not output the facility information corresponding to a level of detail higher than that of the first output information when no response from the user is detected.

5. An audio output method executed by a computer provided in an audio output device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring facility information about facilities to be provided, the facility information including basic facility information classified in advance into a plurality of levels of detail as basic information, and detailed facility information classified in advance into a plurality of levels of detail as detailed information more detailed than the basic information; a determination step of determining whether the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; an output step of outputting the basic facility information about the facility as first output information when the audio output device or the facility is outside the user's living area, and outputting the detailed facility information about the facility as first output information when the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; a detection step of detecting a response of the user to the output first output information; Equipped with The output step is an audio output method in which, based on the user's response, the facility information corresponding to a higher level of detail than the first output information is output as second output information, regardless of whether the facility basic information or the facility detailed information is output as the first output information.

6. A program executed by a computer provided in an audio output device, an acquisition means for acquiring facility information about facilities to be provided, the facility information including basic facility information classified in advance into a plurality of levels of detail as basic information, and detailed facility information classified in advance into a plurality of levels of detail as detailed information more detailed than the basic information; a determination means for determining whether the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; an output means for outputting the basic facility information about the facility as first output information when the audio output device or the facility is outside the user's living area, and outputting the detailed facility information about the facility as first output information when the audio output device or the facility is within the user's living area; and causing the computer to function as a detection unit that detects a response of the user to the output first output information; The output means is a program that outputs, based on the user's response, the facility information corresponding to a higher level of detail than the first output information as second output information, regardless of whether the facility basic information or the facility detailed information is output as the first output information.

7. A storage medium storing the program according to claim 6.

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