JP4584297B2 - GUIDANCE INFORMATION PROVIDING DEVICE AND GUIDANCE INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a guide information providing apparatus and a guide information providing method for providing guide information to a communication terminal.

  Conventionally, as a voice guidance system, when a communication terminal moves to a voice guidance information distribution area, a process is performed in which voice guidance information is received by grasping a radio wave transmitted from a voice guidance information providing device. It has been known.

  Also, in order to configure the contents of the voice guidance information according to the user situation and user attributes, voice guidance information (voice guidance) is distributed in response to a change in the user situation such as position information transmitted from the communication terminal. The system is also known.

  In such a voice guidance system, the voice guidance information providing apparatus periodically observes the position information transmitted from the communication terminal, and performs processing of distributing voice guidance information when moving to a specific area.

In addition, a voice guidance system that switches voice guidance information to be distributed by an explicit user operation (for example, voice input operation) is known (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-215036

  However, the conventional voice guidance system as described above has the following problems.

  That is, in the conventional voice guidance system, the voice guidance information can be reproduced only after the communication terminal enters the voice guidance information distribution area. For this reason, there is a problem that the corresponding voice guidance information cannot be obtained unless the communication terminal moves to the distribution area.

  In addition, even when the communication terminal moves to such a distribution area, there is a problem that voice guidance information may not always be obtained due to radio wave conditions or the like.

  Such voice guidance information is often information limited to a specific spot (such as a store). Regardless of the process until the communication terminal moves to the specific spot, the voice guidance information includes uniform information. There was also a problem of being configured by using.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and automatically synthesizes voice guidance information at the current location in response to a request from the user without moving to the voice guidance information distribution area. It is an object of the present invention to provide a guide information providing apparatus and a guide information providing method that enable this.

  A first feature of the present invention is a guidance information providing device that provides guidance information to a communication terminal, and is configured to store a guidance information component and location information in association with each other, According to information transmitted from the communication terminal, a target guidance information component that is a target to be included in the guidance information is determined from the guidance information components stored in the storage unit. The guidance information is generated by combining the target guidance information component determined by the determination unit and the determination unit based on position information associated with each target guidance information component. And a providing unit configured to provide the guidance information generated by the combining unit to the communication terminal.

  In the first feature of the present invention, a guidance route that connects the target guidance information components is generated based on position information associated with each of the target guidance information components determined by the determination unit. And the combining unit may be configured to generate the guide information by arranging and synthesizing the target guide information components according to the guide route. .

  In the first feature of the present invention, the combining unit inserts a travel time guide information component between the target guide information components in consideration of a distance between the target guide information components on the guide route. It may be configured to.

  In the first feature of the present invention, the combining unit takes into account the distance between the target guide information constituent elements on the guide route, and the length of the target guide information constituent element or the travel time guide information constituent element. It may be configured to change the height.

  In the first feature of the present invention, the guidance information component may be constituted by an audio file.

  A second feature of the present invention is a guide information providing method in which a guide information providing device provides guide information to a communication terminal, and the guide information providing device includes a guide information component and position information in a storage unit. The communication terminal transmits a guidance use request to the guidance information providing device, and the guidance information providing device responds to information transmitted from the communication terminal. Determining a target guidance information component to be included in the guidance information from the guidance information components stored in the storage unit; and the guidance information providing device includes the target guidance information component. A step of generating the guide information by compositing based on position information associated with each target guide information component, and the guide information providing device transmits the generated guide information to the communication terminal. A step of providing, said communication terminal, and summarized in that a step of reproducing the guidance information provided to.

  As described above, according to the present invention, guidance that allows voice guidance information to be automatically synthesized in response to a request from the user at the current location without moving to the voice guidance information distribution area. An information providing apparatus and a guidance information providing method can be provided.

(Configuration of the voice guidance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention)
The configuration of the voice guidance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a voice guidance system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a communication terminal 20 and a voice guidance information providing device 30 that provides voice guidance information based on a user's situation and request transmitted from the communication terminal 20. It is configured with.

  The communication terminal 20 according to the present embodiment includes a user attribute transmission unit 21, a reception unit 22, and a reproduction unit 23. In the present embodiment, the communication terminal 20 may be a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone, or a fixed communication terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer). Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

  The user attribute transmission unit 21 is configured to transmit the attribute (user attribute) of the communication terminal 20 to the voice guidance information providing device 30.

  Here, the attributes of the communication terminal 20 are position information of the communication terminal 20, personal information such as the gender and age of the user of the communication terminal 20, and the like.

  Note that the user attribute transmission unit 21 may be configured to periodically transmit the attribute of the communication terminal 20, or based on a request from the voice guidance information providing device 30, the attribute of the communication terminal 20 may be changed. It may be configured to transmit.

  The receiving unit 22 is configured to receive the voice guidance information (voice guide) provided from the providing unit 36 of the voice guidance information providing device 30.

  The playback unit 23 is configured to play back the voice guidance information (voice guide) received by the receiving unit 22.

  The voice guidance information providing device 30 according to the present embodiment is a guidance information providing device that provides voice guidance information (guidance information) to the communication terminal 10.

  Specifically, the voice guidance information providing device 30 includes a voice guidance target determination unit 31, a search unit 32, a storage unit 33, a guidance route generation unit 34, a synthesis unit 35, and a provision unit 36. Composed. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

  The voice guidance target determination unit 31 provides the communication terminal 20 with guidance information components stored in the storage unit 33 according to information (for example, attributes of the communication terminal 20) transmitted from the communication terminal 20. It is configured to determine a “target guide information component” that is a target to be included in the guide information to be processed.

  That is, the voice guidance target determining unit 31 is configured to determine such target guidance information components based on a user operation or a user request (voice guidance use request).

  Here, the request from the user (voice guidance use request) indicates a related theme according to a purpose such as a tour of a specialty store or a sightseeing spot, and the related theme is stored in the storage unit 33. This corresponds to the “related theme” in the voice guidance information component management table 33a.

  Further, the voice guidance target determining unit 31 uses the attribute of the communication terminal 20 (for example, the user status such as the location information of the communication terminal 20) even when there is no explicit request from the user. You can also determine the theme.

  Then, the voice guidance target determination unit 31 uses the voice guidance information component corresponding to the determined related theme in the voice guidance information component management table 33a stored in the storage unit 33 as the target guidance information component. Is configured to determine.

  Here, the voice guidance information component is constituted by, for example, a voice file (voice guidance message) explaining a specific store, landscape, famous place, sightseeing spot, or the like that is a target of voice guidance.

  The voice guidance target determination unit 31 performs a narrowing process based on a related theme specified by a request from the user, position information of the communication terminal 20, and personal information such as the gender and age of the user of the communication terminal 20, A target guidance information component that is a target (candidate) to be included in the voice guidance information is determined.

  The search unit 32 is configured to search and extract the target voice guidance information component determined by the voice guidance target determination unit 31 from the voice guidance information component management table 33a stored in the storage unit 33. Yes.

  More specifically, the search unit 32 uses the voice guidance information whose “related theme” in the voice guidance information component management table 33a stored in the storage unit 33 matches the related theme specified by the request from the user. It is configured to select and extract components.

  The storage unit 33 is configured to store voice guidance information components and position information in association with each other. Specifically, the storage unit 33 is configured to store a voice guidance information component management table 33a. FIG. 2 shows an example of the voice guidance information component management table 33a.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the voice guidance information component management table 33a includes one or more items that associate “voice guidance information component”, “element identifier”, “related theme”, “guidance time”, and “position information”. Consists of multiple records.

  The “voice guidance information component” is a voice file that forms voice guidance information.

  The “element identifier” indicates the content of the voice guidance information constituent element. For example, a store, a landscape, a famous place, etc. are assumed as the element identifier.

  The “related theme” is information indicating a theme related to the voice guidance information component, for example, information indicating a theme corresponding to a purpose such as a tour of a specialty store or a tour of sightseeing spots.

  “Guidance time” indicates the time required to reproduce the voice guidance information component. When a plurality of “guidance times” are set in the voice guidance information component management table 33a (for example, indicated as 30 seconds and 60 seconds), the voice guidance information showing the same voice guidance and having different required times. Indicates that there are multiple components.

  The guidance route generation unit 34 generates a guidance route that connects the target guidance information components based on the position information associated with each of the target guidance information components determined by the voice guidance target determination unit 31. It is configured.

  For example, the guidance route generation unit 34 is configured to classify the target voice guidance information components extracted by the search unit 32 for each related theme and create a guidance route according to each related theme.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the guidance route generation unit 34 arranges the target voice guidance information components 72, 32, 18, 41, 93, 6 extracted by the search unit 32 on a map. , A guide route (72 → 32 → 18 → 41 → 93 → 6) passing through each target voice guidance information component is created.

  Such a map is used in association with the position information of the communication terminal 20 transmitted from the communication terminal 20, and indicates a map within a radius of 5 km of the position information of the communication terminal 20, for example.

  Further, the target voice guidance information component is not limited to the straight route on the map, but may be content considering a right turn or a left turn route. That is, in the example of FIG. 3, the target voice guidance information component (voice file) 41 may include guidance regarding a left turn and situation descriptions before and after the left turn.

  The synthesis unit 35 synthesizes the voice guidance information (guidance information) by synthesizing the target guidance information components determined by the voice guidance target determination unit 31 based on the position information associated with each target guidance information component. Configured to generate.

  Specifically, the synthesis unit 35 is configured to generate voice guidance information by arranging and synthesizing target guidance information components according to the guidance route generated by the guidance route generation unit 34.

  More specifically, the synthesis unit 35 accurately arranges and synthesizes target voice guidance information components having different element identifiers, related themes, and guidance times based on the guidance route generated by the guidance route generation unit 34. Is configured to generate voice guidance information.

  The combining unit 35 may be configured to insert a travel time guide information component between the target guide information components.

  Here, the combining unit 35 considers the distance between the target guidance information components on the guidance route (the movement time between the target guidance information components), and is used for the movement time to be inserted between the target guidance information components. You may be comprised so that the kind of guidance information component may be determined.

  Here, the synthesizing unit 35 determines the type of the travel time guidance information component to be inserted between the target guidance information components in consideration of the related themes related to the target guidance information components on the guidance route. It may be configured as follows. Such a type may be information with a higher level of abstraction, that is, tourist guide information covering a wider range.

  Further, the combining unit 35 is configured to change the length (guide time) of the target guide information component or the travel time guide information component in consideration of the distance between the target guide information components on the guide route. May be.

  In the example of FIG. 4, the synthesizing unit 35 includes target voice guidance information components (voice files) 72, 32, 18, 41 extracted corresponding to the related theme specified by the voice guidance use request by the search unit 32. , 93, 6 are arranged in time series.

  At that time, the synthesizer 35 considers the travel time between the respective target voice guidance information components, and sets an appropriate guidance time (length of the target voice guidance information component) for each target voice guidance information component. select.

  Here, the movement time between the target voice guidance information components may be static information determined in advance, or calculated based on position information of the communication terminal 20 periodically transmitted from the communication terminal 20. It may be what was done.

  In other words, in the example of FIG. 4, the combining unit 35 determines the distance between the target guide information component 72 and the target guide information component 41 on the guide route (that is, from the target guide information component 72 to the target guide information component). In consideration of the travel time to 41), a travel time guide information component (target guide information component 32 and target guide information component 18) is provided between the target guide information component 72 and the target guide information component 41. ) Is configured to insert.

  The combining unit 35 may be configured not to insert the travel time guide information component between the target guide information components.

  In such a case, the reproduction unit 23 of the communication terminal 20 detects the period in which the target guidance information component to be reproduced is not included during the reproduction of the voice guidance information, and then the target guidance to be reproduced after the period has elapsed. When a period in which the information component is included is detected, the user of the communication terminal 20 arrives at the next voice guidance target by ringing the communication terminal 20 or generating an alarm sound. You may be comprised so that it may notify.

  The providing unit 36 is configured to provide the voice terminal information (guidance information) generated by the combining unit 35 to the communication terminal 20.

  More specifically, for example, when the voice guidance information is generated in response to a request from the user, the providing unit 36 transmits the voice guidance information to the communication terminal 20 when the generation of the voice guidance information is completed. It is configured as follows.

  The providing unit 36 is configured to provide voice guidance information when the user (communication terminal 20) moves to a specific area even when there is no explicit operation or request from the user. May be.

(Operation of the voice guidance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention)
With reference to FIG. 5, in the voice guidance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a procedure in which the communication terminal 20 acquires voice guidance information from the voice guidance information providing device 30 and uses the voice guidance service will be described. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in step S <b> 100 </ b> A, the communication terminal 20 transmits a voice guidance use request to the voice guidance information providing apparatus 30.

  In step S <b> 100 </ b> B, the voice guidance information providing apparatus 30 that has received the voice guidance use request from the communication terminal 20 transmits a user attribute request to the communication terminal 20.

  In step S101, when the communication terminal 20 receives the user attribute request, as the attribute (user attribute) of the communication terminal 20, the position information of the communication terminal 20, personal information such as the gender and age of the user of the communication terminal 20 is obtained. Is transmitted to the voice guidance information providing device 30.

  Here, it is assumed that the location information of the communication terminal 20 is acquired by GPS or the like, and information previously registered in the communication terminal 20 is used as personal information of the user of the communication terminal 20. .

  In step S102, when receiving the user attribute, the voice guidance information providing apparatus 30 receives the related theme specified by the received voice guidance use request and the received user attribute (that is, location information, gender, and age). The voice guidance target (that is, the target voice guidance information component) is determined.

  In step S <b> 103, the voice guidance information providing device 30 searches and extracts the determined target voice guidance information constituent elements from the respective voice guidance information constituent element management tables 33 a stored in the storage unit 33.

  More specifically, the voice guidance information providing device 30 is related to the “related theme” specified by the voice guidance use request in the voice guidance information component management table stored in the storage unit 33 shown in FIG. The voice guidance information component that matches the theme is selected as the target voice guidance information component.

  In step S104, the voice guidance information providing apparatus 30 classifies the target voice guidance information components (voice guidance targets) searched and extracted for each related theme, and creates a guidance route according to each related theme.

  In step S105, the voice guidance information providing apparatus 30 accurately arranges and synthesizes voice guidance information by arranging and synthesizing target voice guidance components having different element identifiers, related themes, and guidance times based on the created guidance route. Generate.

  In the first extraction process, it is assumed that the target voice guidance information constituent elements extracted corresponding to the related theme are the target voice guidance information constituent elements 72, 41, and 6.

  Here, the voice guidance information generated by the target voice guidance information components 72, 41, 6 extracted in the first extraction process corresponds to the travel time between the target voice guidance information components 72, 41, 6. There will be blanks for the amount of time.

  In such a case, it is considered that the movement time between the target voice guidance information components 72, 41, and 6 is not consistent, and the operation returns to step 103, and the target voice suitable for the related theme and the movement time is obtained. In step 105, the guidance information component is extracted, and in step 105, the voice guidance information providing device 30 generates voice guidance information so as to fill a gap in the travel time between the target voice guidance information components 72, 41, and 6.

  In step S <b> 106, the voice guidance information providing device 30 provides the voice terminal information created by the above procedure to the communication terminal 20.

  After receiving the voice guidance information provided from the voice guidance information providing device 30 in step S107, the communication terminal 20 reproduces the voice guidance information in step S108.

(Operation and effect of the voice guidance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention)
According to the voice guidance system according to the present embodiment, target voice guidance information components suitable for user requests and user attributes are extracted regardless of the current location of the user (communication terminal 20), and the target voice guidance information components are extracted. The voice guidance information can be created by arranging the target voice guidance information components while considering the travel time between them.

  As a result, the process until the communication terminal 20 moves to the destination voice guidance target in accordance with the request from the user and the user attribute without moving to the voice guidance information distribution area is taken into consideration. However, voice guidance information can be automatically synthesized.

(Modification 1)
The voice guidance information providing apparatus 30 according to the first embodiment described above may be configured to measure the residence time at a specific location of the communication terminal 20 by observing the position information of the communication terminal 20. .

  And when the residence time in the specific place of the communication terminal 20 exceeds the reproduction time (guidance time) of the current target voice guidance information component 1 corresponding to the specific place, the voice guidance information providing apparatus 30 is more When the target voice guidance information component 2 corresponding to the long specific place exists, the target voice guidance information component 1 is changed to the target voice guidance information component 2 in the voice guidance information to be provided. It may be.

  That is, when the residence time of the communication terminal 20 at the specific location exceeds the reproduction time of the current target voice guidance information component 1 corresponding to the specific location, the target voice guidance information component corresponding to the longer specific location. The communication terminal 20 may be configured to provide only the portion exceeding the playback time of 2.

  For example, when the reproduction time of the current target voice guidance information component 1 corresponding to the specific location in the voice guidance information is “30 seconds”, the time when the residence time of the communication terminal 20 in the specific location exceeds “30 seconds” Thus, the providing unit 36 may be configured to provide only the “30 seconds” portion of the second half of the target voice guidance information component 2 whose playback time is “60 seconds” at the communication terminal 20.

(Modification 2)
In the first embodiment described above, the voice guidance information providing device 30 that provides voice guidance information to the communication terminal 20 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. The present invention can be applied to an example in which any type of information such as character information, still image information, and moving image information is used as the guidance information instead of the voice guidance information. The operations of the communication terminal 20 and the voice guidance information providing device 30 described above may be implemented by hardware, may be implemented by a software module executed by a processor, or may be implemented by a combination of both. Also good.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail using the above-described embodiments, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. The present invention can be implemented as modified and changed modes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the description of the scope of claims. Therefore, the description of the present specification is for illustrative purposes and does not have any limiting meaning to the present invention.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a voice guidance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the voice guidance information component table managed by the storage part of the voice guidance information provision apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that a guidance route production | generation part of the audio guidance information provision apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention produces | generates a guidance route. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that an audio | voice guidance is synthesize | combined by the synthetic | combination part of the audio | voice guidance information provision apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the voice guidance system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Voice guidance system 20 ... Communication terminal 21 ... User attribute transmission part 22 ... Reception part 23 ... Playback part 30 ... Voice guidance information provision apparatus 31 ... Voice guidance object determination part 32 ... Search part 33 ... Storage part 33a ... Voice guidance information Component element management table 34 ... guide route generation unit 35 ... composition unit 36 ... providing unit

Claims (5)

A guidance information providing device for providing guidance information to a communication terminal,
A storage unit configured to store a guide information component configured by an audio file or a video file, location information, and related information related to the content of the guide information component in association with each other;
Each time the position information of the communication terminal transmitted from the communication terminal is received, the position information of the communication terminal transmitted from the communication terminal, among the guidance information components stored in the storage unit, A determining unit configured to determine a guide information component associated with related information transmitted from the communication terminal as a target guide information component to be included in the guide information;
A providing unit configured to provide the communication terminal with the guide information including the guide information component determined by the determining unit;
Based on the location information of the communication terminal transmitted from the communication terminal, a measuring unit that measures a residence time at a specific location of the mobile terminal;
Comprising
When the dwell time exceeds the reproduction time of the first guidance information component corresponding to the specific location, the providing unit corresponds to the specific location and has a longer reproduction time than the first guidance information component A guidance information providing apparatus that provides the communication terminal with only a portion of the second guidance information component that exceeds the reproduction time of the first guidance information component . A guide route generator configured to generate a guide route that connects the target guide information components based on position information associated with each of the target guide information components determined by the determiner. When,
The guidance according to claim 1 , further comprising: a composition unit configured to generate guidance information by arranging the target guidance information components on a time series corresponding to a passing order in the guidance route. Information providing device. The combining unit is configured to insert a travel time guidance information component between the target guidance information components in consideration of a distance between the target guidance information components on the guidance route. The guidance information providing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is a guidance information providing apparatus. The combining unit is configured to change the length of the target guide information component or the travel time guide information component in consideration of the distance between the target guide information components on the guide route. The guidance information providing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein A guidance information providing method in which a guidance information providing device provides guidance information to a communication terminal,
The guide information providing device stores, in the storage unit, a guide information component configured by an audio file or a video file, location information, and related information related to the content of the guide information component in association with each other. ,
The communication terminal transmitting the position information of the communication terminal and the related information to the guidance information providing device;
Each time the guidance information providing device receives the location information of the communication terminal transmitted from the communication terminal, the guidance information component stored in the storage unit is transmitted from the communication terminal. Determining the guidance information component associated with the location information of the communication terminal and the related information transmitted from the communication terminal as a target guidance information component to be included in the guidance information;
The guide information providing device providing the guide information including the determined guide information component to the communication terminal;
The communication terminal reproducing the provided guidance information;
Measuring the residence time at the specific location of the mobile terminal based on the location information of the communication terminal transmitted from the communication terminal;
Have
In the providing step, when the residence time exceeds the reproduction time of the first guidance information component corresponding to the specific location, the reproduction time corresponds to the specific location and the reproduction time from the first guidance information component. A method for providing guidance information , comprising: providing, to the communication terminal, only a portion of a long second guidance information component that exceeds a reproduction time of the first guidance information component .

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