Information retrieval device

Abstract

To enable searching of information required by an occupant from vehicle external sound.SOLUTION: An information searching device 1 acquires vehicle external sound as sound of the circumference of a vehicle by a microphone 2, extracts a prescribed keyword on the basis of the vehicle external sound acquired by a control unit 6, and performs an information searching to a server device 20 by using the keyword extracted. The control unit 6 causes an output unit 7 to output a searching result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information retrieval device that retrieves information using a predetermined keyword. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of determining a target area based on a person area in an area other than the road, determining a sound collection direction so that sound can be collected from the target area, collecting outside sound from the vehicle, and outputting the collected outside sound inside the vehicle.

[0003] Furthermore, in recent years, technological developments have been progressing regarding autonomous driving, which automatically performs driving operations in place of the driver. To prevent passengers from getting bored during such autonomous driving, Patent Document 2 describes a system in which content such as television information, video information recorded on an optical disk, and web information obtained via the Internet is enlarged and displayed to fill the entire windshield. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-201406 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-217798 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The invention described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to output collected sounds from outside the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle. For example, if an event such as a festival is being held in the person area, the sounds of the festival or other event will be output inside the vehicle. However, even if a vehicle occupant is interested in the event, they will not be able to obtain detailed information about the event on the spot.

[0006] Furthermore, even if a passenger tries to search for information about an event on a search engine while the vehicle is driving autonomously, they may not get the search results they desire if they are unable to extract the appropriate keywords from the sounds they hear.

[0007] One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to search for information required by a passenger from sounds outside the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is characterized by comprising a sound acquisition unit that acquires external sounds that are sounds around the vehicle, an extraction unit that extracts predetermined keywords based on the acquired external sounds, a search unit that performs an information search using the extracted keywords, and an output unit that outputs the search results by the search unit.

[0009] The invention described in claim 6 is an information search method executed by an information search device that performs an information search using a predetermined keyword, and is characterized by including a sound acquisition process of acquiring external vehicle sounds, which are sounds around the vehicle, an extraction process of extracting the keywords based on the acquired external vehicle sounds, a search process of performing an information search using the extracted keywords, and an output process of outputting the search results by the search unit.

[0010] The invention as set forth in claim 7 is characterized in that the information retrieval method as set forth in claim 6 is executed by a computer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system including an information search device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a flowchart of an information search method in the information search device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a DB constructed in a storage unit shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing information about parking lots. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing roads on which autonomous driving is permitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An information search device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the information search device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a sound acquisition unit acquires external vehicle sounds, which are sounds around the vehicle, an extraction unit extracts predetermined keywords based on the acquired external vehicle sounds, and a search unit performs an information search using the extracted keywords. An output unit then outputs the search results obtained by the search unit. In this manner, since the extraction unit extracts keywords based on the external vehicle sounds, it becomes possible to search for information required by passengers from the external vehicle sounds.

[0013] The present invention may also include a current location acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the vehicle, and the search unit may perform an information search using the current location and a keyword. By doing so, the accuracy of the search results can be improved by including the current location.

[0014] The output unit may also output the search results in the passenger's line of sight, thereby reducing the passenger's line of sight movement required to obtain information and reducing the passenger's burden in viewing the search results.

[0015] The output unit may also extract and output information about facilities that the vehicle can stop at from the search results. In this way, it is possible to provide passengers with information about not only the event venue but also parking lots around the event venue.

[0016] The output unit may also output information about the range in which the vehicle can travel by autonomous driving based on the search results. This allows the passenger to understand whether they can continue driving to the vicinity of the event venue or to a parking lot, even when the vehicle is autonomous or traveling in autonomous driving mode.

[0017] In addition, an information search method according to one embodiment of the present invention acquires external vehicle sounds, which are sounds around the vehicle, in a sound acquisition step, extracts predetermined keywords based on the acquired external vehicle sounds in an extraction step, and performs an information search using the extracted keywords in a search step.Then, in an output step, the search results are output by the search unit.By doing this, since keywords based on the external vehicle sounds are extracted in the extraction step, it is possible to search for information that passengers need from the external vehicle sounds.

[0018] The above-described information search method may also be executed by a computer. In this way, keywords based on external vehicle sounds are extracted in the extraction step using a computer, making it possible to search for information required by passengers from external vehicle sounds. [Example]

[0019] A system having an information retrieval device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. As shown in Fig. 1, the system includes an information retrieval device 1 mounted on a vehicle as a mobile object, for example, and information (web pages, image files, etc.) present on the Internet, for example. The server device 20 has a search engine that searches for the URL.

[0020] The information retrieval device 1 includes a microphone 2, a GPS receiver 3, a storage unit 4, a line-of-sight recognition unit 5, a control unit 6, an output unit 7, and a communication unit 8.

[0021] The microphone 2 as a sound acquisition unit is installed, for example, at the front end, rear end, or roof of the vehicle, and collects external sounds around the vehicle. The external sounds collected by the microphone 2 are converted into electrical signals and output to the control unit 6.

[0022] The GPS receiver 3 serving as the current position acquisition unit is a well-known device that detects the current position of the vehicle C based on radio waves from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The current position (latitude, longitude) detected by the GPS receiver is output to the control unit 6 as current position information.

[0023] The storage unit 4 is configured with a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, etc. A database (DB) is constructed in the storage unit 4, which the control unit 6 refers to when extracting keywords from the vehicle exterior sound. This DB may store data by associating the electrical signal waveform of the vehicle exterior sound with keywords using machine learning, for example, or may store data by manually associating the electrical signal waveform with keywords.

[0024] The gaze recognition unit 5 is provided inside the vehicle cabin. The gaze recognition unit 5 includes, for example, a camera and an image processing unit. The camera captures an image of a predetermined area including the face of the passenger, and applies image processing technology to the face of the passenger captured by the camera to recognize the gaze direction of the passenger.

[0025] The control unit 6, which functions as an extraction unit and search unit, is configured by a microcomputer having, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 6 extracts predetermined keywords from a DB constructed in the storage unit 4 based on the waveform of the electrical signal of the external vehicle sound collected by the microphone 2. The control unit 6 then transmits the extracted keywords and the current location detected by the GPS receiver 3 as search information to the server device 20 via the communication unit 8, thereby performing an information search. The operation of the control unit 6 will be described in detail later.

[0026] The output unit 7 outputs the search results to the server device 20. Specifically, the search results are displayed on a display screen installed on a head-up display (HUD) or a center console. Alternatively, the search results may be displayed on the windshield of the vehicle. Alternatively, the search results may be output as audio from a speaker installed in the vehicle.

[0027] When displaying on the HUD, it is preferable to display the search results in the line of sight of the passenger recognized by the line of sight recognition unit 5. Since the line of sight recognition unit 5 recognizes the line of sight direction of the passenger, displaying the results on the HUD in the line of sight direction (a predetermined range centered on the intersection of the line of sight and the HUD) reduces the amount of line of sight movement required for the passenger to obtain information, and reduces the burden on the passenger in viewing the search results.

[0028] The communication unit 8 communicates with the server device 20 via the Internet, etc. The communication unit 8 transmits the above-mentioned search information to the server device 20 and receives search results from the server device 20.

[0029] As described above, the server device 20 has a search engine built therein that searches for information (web pages, image files, etc.) on the Internet, and can be accessed by the information retrieval device 1 to search for information. The search engine built in the server device 20 is not limited to a dedicated one, and may be a general-purpose one provided by, for example, Google, Inc.

[0030] Next, the operation (information retrieval method) of the information retrieval device 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 2. The flowchart shown in Fig. 2 is executed by the control unit 6. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 2 can be configured as a program executed by the CPU of the control unit 6 to become an information retrieval program.

[0031] First, in step S1, the control unit 6 acquires the external sound (electrical signal) collected by the microphone 2.

[0032] Next, in step S2, the control unit 6 extracts predetermined keywords from the DB constructed in the storage unit 4 based on the external sound acquired in step S1. Specifically, the waveform of the electrical signal of the acquired external sound is input into the DB, and keywords associated with that waveform are read out. An example of the DB is shown in Figure 3. Note that the waveform item in Figure 3 is actually the waveform of the external sound acquired in step S1, but in Figure 3 it is displayed as waveform (1) and waveform (2) instead of the actual waveform.

[0033] In Figure 3, if waveform (1) is a sound representing festival music, for example, it is associated with the keyword "festival." If waveform (2) is a sound representing the cheers of spectators, it is associated with the keyword "sports."

[0034] 3, for example, the festival music and cheers are not limited to one type, and multiple types may be registered. For example, cheers from spectators at sports events and cheers from spectators at concerts may be registered, or among sports events, cheers from spectators at baseball games and cheers from spectators at soccer games may be registered.

[0035] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 2, in step S3 following step S2, the control unit 6 acquires the current position detected by the GPS receiver 3. Since the GPS receiver 3 outputs the current position as latitude and longitude, if map information is stored in the storage unit 4, for example, it is preferable to use this to convert the position into an address, facility name, etc.

[0036] Next, in step S4, the control unit 6 performs a search on the server device 20 based on the keyword extracted in step S2 and the current location acquired in step S3. For example, if the keyword "festival" is extracted in step S2 and the current location is "Kamakura Station," an AND search of "festival" and "Kamakura Station" is performed. Therefore, the search results may contain information about festivals around Kamakura Station. Alternatively, if the keyword "sports" is extracted in step S2 and the current location is "Saitama Stadium," an AND search of "sports" and "Saitama Stadium" is performed. Therefore, the search results may contain information about sports being played at Saitama Stadium.

[0037] Next, in step S5, the control unit 6 acquires the results of the search in step S4 and outputs them from the output unit 7. For example, if the information is about the festival around Kamakura Station as mentioned above, the passengers of the vehicle can obtain information such as the festival's name, location, date and time (duration), and if they are interested, they can stop by the festival. Alternatively, if the information is about a sport being held at Saitama Stadium, they can obtain information about a soccer game (team names, current score, etc.), and can further watch live footage of the game on television or online.

[0038] As is clear from the above explanation, step S1 functions as a sound acquisition step, step S2 functions as an extraction step, step S4 functions as a search step, and step S5 functions as an output step.

[0039] In the above-mentioned flowchart, in step S4, the key extracted from the outside sound is In addition to searching by word and current location, you can also add the current date and time (you can also just use the month, date, or time). By adding the date and time, you can narrow down the search results and improve search accuracy.

[0040] Furthermore, in step S5, the search results obtained in step S4 are output as they are. However, in the case of a "festival," for example, the passengers of the vehicle may wish to stop by the festival. Therefore, the output may be narrowed down to information about facilities that the vehicle can stop at, such as information about parking lots around the festival venue. In this case, the narrowing down may be done by the control unit 6, or a search may be performed again by adding a term such as "parking lot" to the server device 20. By doing this, it is possible to provide the passengers with information about parking lots around the event venue, not just about the event venue, such as a festival venue.

[0041] Figure 4 is an example of a display of parking lot information. In Figure 4, symbol M is the vehicle, symbol RT is the driving route of vehicle M, symbol I is the festival venue, and symbol P is the extracted parking lot. By displaying as in Figure 4, the passengers of vehicle M can select the desired parking lot and make that parking lot their destination (stop-off point).

[0042] Furthermore, when a vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or is traveling in autonomous driving mode, passengers may wish to stop by the vehicle in autonomous driving mode rather than in manual driving mode (operation by the driver). Therefore, information regarding the route or range that can be traveled by autonomous driving, such as roads around the festival venue where autonomous driving is permitted, may be output along with the search results. By doing so, passengers can understand whether they can continue to travel to the vicinity of the event venue or to the parking lot, even when the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous vehicle or in autonomous driving mode.

[0043] FIG. 5 is an example of a display of roads on which autonomous driving is permitted. In FIG. 5, roads on which autonomous driving is permitted are indicated by diagonal lines, in contrast to FIG. 4. By displaying as in FIG. 5, the passengers of the vehicle M can determine whether they can stop by the festival by autonomous driving. Note that in FIG. 5, roads on which autonomous driving is permitted are indicated by diagonal lines, but they may also be indicated by the route or range on which autonomous driving is permitted.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, information is searched for using keywords extracted from the external sound and the current location, but it goes without saying that information may be searched for using only keywords extracted from the external sound.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the information retrieval device 1 acquires external vehicle sounds, which are sounds around the vehicle, with the microphone 2, extracts predetermined keywords based on the acquired external vehicle sounds with the control unit 6, and performs an information search on the server device 20 using the extracted keywords. Then, the control unit 6 outputs the search results to the output unit 7. In this way, since the control unit 6 extracts keywords based on the external vehicle sounds, it becomes possible to search for information required by passengers from the external vehicle sounds.

[0046] The vehicle is also equipped with a GPS receiver 3 that acquires the current location of the vehicle, and the control unit 6 performs information searches using the current location and keywords. By doing so, the accuracy of search results can be improved by including the current location.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, a person skilled in the art can implement various modifications in accordance with conventional knowledge without departing from the gist of the present invention. As long as such modifications still include the information retrieval device of the present invention, they are of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Information retrieval device 2. Microphone (sound acquisition unit) 3 GPS receiver (current position acquisition unit) 6 Control section (extraction section, search section) 7 Output section

Claims

1. a sound acquisition unit that acquires external sounds that are sounds around the vehicle; an extraction unit that extracts predetermined keywords based on the acquired external vehicle sounds; a search unit that performs an information search using the extracted keywords; an output unit that outputs a search result obtained by the search unit; An information search device comprising:

2. A current position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, the search unit performs an information search using the current location and the keyword; 2. The information retrieval device according to claim 1.

3. An information search device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the output unit outputs the search results in the passenger's line of sight.

4. An information search device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the output unit further extracts and outputs information regarding facilities that the vehicle can stop at from the search results.

5. An information search device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the output unit outputs information regarding the route or range in which the vehicle can travel by autonomous driving based on the search results.

6. An information retrieval method executed by an information retrieval device that performs information retrieval using a predetermined keyword, comprising: a sound acquisition step of acquiring external sounds that are sounds around the vehicle; an extraction step of extracting the keywords based on the acquired external vehicle sounds; a search step of performing an information search using the extracted keywords; an output step of outputting the search results obtained in the search step; 1. An information retrieval method comprising:

7. An information retrieval program characterized by causing a computer to execute the information retrieval method described in claim 6.

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