JPH07250000A - Traffic information receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the traffic information receiver selecting only traffic information related to a road on which an automobile travels and its halfway point from the voice broadcasting received while travelling in the automobile and making the driver listen to necessary particulars. CONSTITUTION:The travelling route and the name of the point are selected by a name selection means 2 from a name storage means 13 which stores the route comprising the course and the name of the point with a navigation means 11 which estimates the present position of the automobile and searches the course when the objective point is specified. Thus, only when a traffic information identification means 4 identifies the coincidence of the word recognized from the traffic information whose name is broadcasting by voice, the driver can listen to the traffic information broadcasting as the traffic information related to the travelling of the automobile.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention registers the names of roads and points that make up a course in advance in cooperation with navigation means for searching a course by estimating the current position of the vehicle and designating a destination by the driver. Select the name of the road or point you are currently traveling from among the stored ones, and only when the word recognized from the traffic information being broadcast by voice matches the above name, as traffic information related to the traveling of your vehicle, The present invention relates to a traffic information receiving device which enables a driver to listen to the traffic information broadcast with caution.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a great demand for a traffic information receiving apparatus which receives a broadcast of traffic information and is useful for a driver of a moving vehicle. In order to meet the above demands, a driver often enjoys music (including broadcasted ones) from an in-vehicle audio device while driving, and in such a state, for example, JP-A-3-6129.
Using the technology of the FM multiplex receiver disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication, the start of traffic information broadcasting is automatically identified by using the traffic information identification code included in the FM multiplex signal, and the output of the in-vehicle audio device is changed to the traffic information. A device that can be switched to is considered.

[0003]

However, in the case of listening to a normal broadcast that does not include the traffic information identification code, the above conventional device outputs the output of the vehicle-mounted audio device to the reception of the traffic information broadcast. The switching function does not work. On the other hand, in order to effectively use the above-mentioned conventional device, the facility on the broadcasting station side needs a facility for adding the traffic information identification code to the FM multiplex signal being broadcast. Further, in order to identify traffic information broadcasts from ordinary broadcasts, it is conceivable to identify the word "traffic", which is commonly used in traffic information, by voice recognition technology. However, if the traffic information is simply identified by the word "traffic" in the case of broadcasting a wide range of traffic information across several prefectures, the road traffic information being broadcast will be the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Will have to hear the traffic information even if it is irrelevant. That is, for this reason, the user is forced to wait while listening to information about other roads until the broadcasting of information about the road he / she wants to know starts, which is annoying. On the other hand, it is possible to use specific spot names or road names such as "Hodogaya Bypass" and "Shimokawai" as discrimination words for switching to listening to traffic information broadcasting. However, since the specific spot name and the specific road name as described above differ depending on the use situation and the use place, it is necessary to appropriately select them, which is a problem in the conventional device.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to such unconcerned points and inconveniences of the conventional technique, and to provide a traffic information receiving apparatus which eliminates the above-mentioned inconveniences of the conventional apparatus. Is an issue.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a tuner for receiving a broadcast and demodulating it into an audio signal and an audio signal for a specific time are sequentially stored and held in a FIFO manner, and the specific A voice memory buffer that delays and outputs only a time, a voice recognition unit that recognizes and outputs a word from a voice signal, a current vehicle position estimation, and a navigation unit that performs a course search by specifying a driver's destination. And a name storage unit that registers a combination of a road name and a point name on the road, and a name selection unit that selects and outputs a point name on the road from the name storage unit using the output of the navigation unit. Traffic information identifying means for determining whether or not the word is the selected spot name by comparing the word output of the voice recognition means with the spot name output of the name selecting means; If the identifying means determines that the word output to be matched is the selected spot name, the output signal of the memory buffer is adjusted so that it is easier to hear than other audio outputs, and the timer outputs a predetermined time. Voice output switching means that returns to the state before adjustment when a notification of progress is received, and measurement is started if it is determined that the word output of the voice recognition means is the selected point name, and voice output switching is performed after the above-mentioned predetermined time. A timer for notifying the means of the passage of time is installed, and the course selected by the course search function of the navigation means and the name of the road on which the vehicle is estimated to be currently traveling are configured. It is used as an output of the navigation means in combination with the name of a point on the road, and the traffic information identifying means is currently being output which is being output from the navigation means. The location name on the road, from the selection target name selecting means, as already the location name on the road that has passed, and configured to sequentially remove.

That is, in the present invention, as the word used for identifying traffic information, the road name and point name on which the vehicle is traveling are used in combination, and these road name and point name are used in advance. The name of the road that is scheduled to be executed and the name of the point on the way are combined and recorded in the name storage means. From among them, the name of the road currently running or the name of a point on the road that constitutes the course to the destination is selected according to the output of the navigation means. From the registered memory of the selected road names and spot names, the names of roads and spots that the vehicle has already passed are sequentially deleted. When it is determined that the word to be identified is found, the speaker output of the vehicle-mounted audio is adjusted so that the driver can easily hear the audio signal of the broadcast that is determined to be traffic information, and at the same time, the output adjustment state is restored. The timer for clearing is restarted, and if it is determined that the word to be identified is not found, the timer is checked, and if the specified time has elapsed, the speaker output is returned to the state before adjustment. Let

[0007]

If the above-mentioned means is adopted, the driver will be annoyed and annoyed when he / she is concerned about when the traffic information not directly related to him / herself will be broadcast when the information related to him / herself is broadcast. Freed from the task of listening for a long time. The in-vehicle audio device output is adjusted so that it can be heard easily only when valid and necessary traffic information is broadcast to the driver, so that the driver can drive without being exposed to unnecessary tension for a long time. You can concentrate.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a traffic information receiving device of the present invention. A tuner 1 receives an incoming radio wave, selects a desired frequency, and demodulates it into an audio signal. Reference numeral 2 is a name selection unit that selects a road name and a spot name from the name storage unit 13 according to the road name output by the navigation device (means) 11. Reference numeral 3 is a voice recognition means for extracting a word from the voice signal output from the tuner 1. Reference numeral 4 is a traffic information identification means for examining the words output by the voice recognition means 3 by using the road names and the spot names sent from the name selection means as identification objects and identifying whether or not the information is traffic information. . 5 is the traffic information identification means 4,
When the words extracted and output by the voice recognition unit 3 are identified as traffic information, it is an output switching unit that adjusts the speaker output so that the traffic information is more prominent and can be easily heard by the driver. The adjustment state in which the traffic information is highlighted by the output switching unit 5 continues until the timer 7 notifies that a predetermined time has elapsed. In this embodiment, a changeover switch 6 is provided, and the speaker output is changed according to an instruction from the output changing means 5.
The configuration is such that the traffic information output from the voice memory buffer 9 and the output of another audio device 21 are switched. 7
Receives the output of the traffic information identification means 4 and starts operation,
It is a timer for notifying the output switching means that a predetermined time has elapsed. Reference numeral 8 is a speaker for outputting voice. 9 is an audio signal for a specific time output from the tuner 1
It is a voice memory buffer that sequentially stores and secures the data in the O-type, and outputs it after delaying for a predetermined time. Reference numeral 11 is a navigation device that estimates the position of the own vehicle and searches for a road name to a destination specified by the driver or a name of a point on the way. 12
Is a console serving as a human interface for inputting a destination and a course to the navigation device 11. Reference numeral 13 is a name storage means that is registered in advance by combining a road name and a point name on the road. 21
Is another audio device other than receiving traffic information.

Next, the processing means of this apparatus will be described with reference to the processing flow charts shown in FIGS. FIG. 2 shows the main flow. When the operation of this device starts, it is first judged whether or not the own vehicle has reached the destination (step [1]). If the destination is reached in step [1], the process ends (step [2]). If it has not reached, the spot name selection subroutine is executed. This process corresponds to the process by the name selecting means 2 shown in FIG. 1 (step [3]). Next, the broadcast is received and demodulated into an audio signal, and a signal for a specific time is stored and secured in the audio memory buffer 9 (step [4]). Next, the word is recognized from the voice signal. This corresponds to the processing by the voice recognition means 3 shown in FIG. In order to extract a word from a voice signal, it is possible to apply an existing technique of performing pattern matching using a well-known PARCOR coefficient or a linear prediction coefficient as a feature parameter, and therefore detailed description will not be given here (step [5]). Receiving the output of step [5], it performs collation processing with the selected name of the identification target. This corresponds to the processing by the traffic information identification means 4 shown in FIG. 1 (step [6]).

If a place name corresponding to the word recognized in step 5 is found in step [6] (step [7]), it is determined that the name is traffic information, and the output of the speaker 8 is being received. Switch to traffic information, voice memory buffer 9
The audio signal for the specific time stored in is reproduced. This processing is performed by the output switching means 5 and the changeover switch 6 shown in FIG.
Corresponds to the processing by. As a means for making the voice signal of the traffic information stand out, in addition to the switching method by the switch used in the present embodiment, it is conceivable to adjust the volume relatively to other voice signals (step [8]). At the same time, clear the timer and restart it (step

[9]). Then, the process returns to A before step [1].

In step [7], if the spot name that matches the word recognized in step 5 is not found, it is determined whether or not the timer has measured a predetermined time or more. Here, for example, 10 seconds is used as the predetermined time, but this time can be adjusted by the sharpness of the audio signal obtained from the broadcast. For example, if the radio wave received by the tuner is interrupted, it is possible to temporarily double the predetermined time (step

[9]). Step

If it is determined in [9] that the predetermined time or more has passed, the speaker output is returned to the state before receiving the traffic information (step [10]). Then, the process returns to A before step [1]. Step [10]
If it is determined that the predetermined time or more has not elapsed, the process directly returns to A before step [1]. Figure 3 shows the processing flow of the subroutine for selecting road names and point names.
Further, FIG. 4 shows an example of selection according to it. When the execution right is passed to this subroutine, the name of the road currently running and the name of the road constituting the course of the search result are received from the navigation means (step [1]). The name of the road that has already passed and the name of the point on the way are deleted from the registered road name that is currently running (step [2]). The road to be searched is set as the road currently running (step [3]). The road to be searched is searched from the name storage means and the point name on the way is selected. In the selection example of FIG. 4, since the road to be searched is the Yokohama Yokosuka road that is currently running, the names of the waypoints such as “Bessho” and “Hino” recorded with the road name are selected (step [ 4]). From the navigation means,
It is determined whether or not the road name forming the searched course has been input (step [5]). If there is no input, the process directly returns (step [8]). If there is an input, the road to be searched is set as the road on the course (step [6]). Search the road to be searched from the name storage means,
Select a point name along the way. Here, this is done for all roads on the course (step [7]). afterwards,
Return to the main routine (step [8]).

FIG. 5 shows that when a wide range of traffic information is broadcast over several prefectures, the traffic information receiving device of the present invention is used to broadcast road information related to the running of the vehicle. Only when it is done, it is possible to reliably listen by switching the sound source and raising the volume, and as in the past, the mental load of not missing the necessary information from the long-lasting traffic information broadcast. It is a figure which shows that is eliminated.

[0013]

As described above, according to the traffic information receiving apparatus of the present invention, from the broadcast received by the tuner,
When you find and identify the name of a road that is running or a course that constitutes a course to a destination and the name of a point along the road,
By adjusting the audio signal of the traffic information broadcast so that it stands out (switching from other music broadcasts or increasing the volume), the traffic information broadcast by voice is related to the running of the vehicle. Since only certain information can be identified and heard, it is possible to prevent missing of traffic information necessary for driving the own vehicle. Further, it is not necessary to change the equipment on the broadcasting station side such as adding a traffic information identification code to the specific FM multiplex signal. Further, even for a wide range of traffic information over several prefectures, the trouble of waiting while listening until the road information related to one's own driving is broadcast is improved. Further, the road name and the point name are automatically selected from the name storage means when the vehicle position and the route to the destination are determined, so that the troublesomeness and omission of the selection can be reduced. With the device of the present invention, the driver can prevent missing of traffic information by normal audio broadcasting,
You can concentrate on driving and improve safety. Also, until the traffic information begins, the driver's favorite music source can be enjoyed, improving convenience.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a traffic information receiving device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a main flow diagram for explaining a main processing operation of the traffic information receiving device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a subroutine process for explaining an operation of selecting a road name and a point name on the way in the traffic information receiving device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of selecting a specific road name or spot name according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of an embodiment in which, according to the present invention, only the broadcast of traffic information related to the traveling of the own vehicle can be identified and heard from the broadcast of a wide range of traffic information over several prefectures. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tuner 2 ... Name selection means 3 ... Voice recognition means 4 ... Traffic information identification means 5 ... Output switching means 6 ... Changeover switch 7 ... Timer 8 ... Speaker 9 ... Voice memory buffer 11 ... Navigation device 12 ... Console 13 ... Name storage Means 21 ... Other audio device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A tuner for receiving a broadcast and demodulating into an audio signal, and an audio signal for a specific time is sequentially stored and held in a FIFO manner,
A memory buffer that outputs after delaying for the specific time, a voice recognition unit that recognizes and outputs a word from a voice signal, estimates the current position of the own vehicle, and performs a course search by specifying the destination of the driver, A navigation means, a name storage means registered by combining a road name and a spot name on the road, and an output of the navigation means are used to select and output a spot name on the currently traveling road from the name storage means. The name selection means and the word output of the voice recognition means are collated with the spot name output of the name selection means, and it is judged whether or not it is the selected spot name. The traffic information identification means and the traffic information identification means are collated. As a result, if it is determined that the word output of the voice recognition means is the spot name output from the name selection means, the output signal of the memory buffer is output to another audio device. If the word output of the voice output switching means and the voice recognition means is a point name output by the name selection means, the word output of the voice output switching means is adjusted so that it stands out in comparison A traffic information receiving device, comprising: a timer that starts time measurement and notifies the audio output switching means of elapse of time after a predetermined time. 2. A combination of the name of the road on which the own vehicle is estimated to be currently traveling and the name of a point on the road that constitutes the course selected by the course searching function of the navigation means is combined as the output of the navigation means. The traffic information receiving device according to claim 1, which is used. 3. The traffic information identification means is configured to sequentially delete the name of a point on the road that has already passed, from the selected point name, according to the name of the road currently being traveled output from the navigation means. The traffic information receiving device according to claim 1.