FR2689667A1 - On-board receiver for the navigation of a motor vehicle. - Google Patents

Abstract

On-board receiver for navigation aid of a motor vehicle, intended to receive messages containing the locations of problems from a finite series of stored locations and comprising means (13, 25) for decoding 15 for restitution (22, 23), in a form accessible to a motorist, of messages received, memory means (25) containing data of a geographical area, and means (14, 15) for choosing a route, controllable by the motorist, while that means for selecting (13) and storing (20) messages are arranged to receive, decoding means (13, 25), restored messages, to select them and store them under the control of the memory means (25) and route selection means (14, 15). Application to automobile navigation.

Description

On-board receiver for the navigation of a motor vehicle. The

  The present invention relates to an onboard navigation aid receiver of a motor vehicle which can

  receive, by transmitters and a radio channel,

  specific broadcast, coded messages containing at least problem locations of a finite sequence of locations stored in the receiver, the latter including means for decoding messages, means for rendering, in the form accessible to a motorist, of received and memorized messages, memory means containing geographical data relating to a given geographical area and means of choice of route controllable by the motorist. The radio data system RDS (Radio Data System) which, from FM transmitters and a traffic message channel TMC (traffic message chanel), is already known as a car navigation aid system. transmits to vehicles equipped with a receiver-RDS digital information on traffic conditions, meteorology and = still other services This system is interesting for signaling traffic problems, mainly traffic jams, and, more specifically,

their locations.

  The RDS system is based on a reference table, containing in particular one-to-one numbers associated with predetermined problem locations The table of problem locations (table PL) is stored in the on-board receiver When a problem arises, that can be detected by -2 - an automatic system, police or gendarmerie services, municipal services, for example, it is formatted, coded, and transmitted in the form of

  RDS byte streams on the TMC channel.

  A problem can be defined, or explained, by a cause (accident, for example), an effect (stopper, slowdown), a point A, if the problem is punctually located, two points A and B, if the problem produces its effect between these two points (stopper, slowdown), a distance from a point A (slowdown, stopper, from this point over the distance considered), etc. Information on a problem can be associated with advice (turn away from X), information on weather conditions, etc. In the RDS system, as currently implemented, an RDS receiver, receiving a coded problem message, decodes its cause, its effect as well as, using the stored PL table, the number or numbers of the location of the problem before, by synthesizer, to restore the message in voice form (slowdown

  from A to B due to an accident, for example).

  There are, in a country like France, about 65 000 locations of possible problems It is easy to understand that the memorization of the messages relating to the totality of the locations of problems requires a large memory capacity Moreover, the motorist must be able to reach quickly the messages relevant, which requires sophisticated management of stored data and the use of high-speed memory allowing quick access to the data they contain to respond quickly to the demands of the motorist This sophisticated management is expensive hardware and in software and, moreover, the fast access type memories, such as semiconductor integrated circuit memories, on the one hand, are proportionally more expensive than slower memories, semiconductor or magnetic, and, on the other hand,

share, consume more.

  The applicant has sought to resolve this problem without, however, limiting its solution to the

RDS specification.

  For this purpose, the present invention relates to an edge receiver of the type mentioned above, characterized in that it comprises means for selecting and storing messages arranged to receive, from said decoding means, messages restored, for select them and store them, under the control of said memory means and said route selection means. Thus, knowing the route chosen by the motorist, the receiver retains only the relevant messages for this route and

  possibly diversion routes nearby.

  The volume of material is thus limited, while the access time to the stored messages, fewer in number, is decreased, which allows the use of a simpler material therefore less expensive in terms of

  memory means and means for managing them.

  Advantageously, the route selection means comprise speech processing means performing a voice recognition. The motorist can thus choose his route without having to use a keyboard whose use is not always user-friendly and is not recommended. when the vehicle is

working.

  In particular, the speech processing means can be arranged to perform a multi-talk type voice recognition. Any motorist, driver or passenger can thus choose a route without having to make the receiver

  speech recognition learning.

  The speech processing means can also be arranged to perform a speech synthesis and control the restitution means This avoids a duplication of certain means for the analysis and synthesis of speech The means for processing the speech speech are advantageously arranged to perform a synthesis of speech by rules, which allows to have an unlimited vocabulary, if necessary in several languages, since we use diphones to reconstruct the words, diphones in limited numbers Moreover, the quality, in particular the transitions at the end of a word or sentence, is better than with a synthesis by words The playback means may include a display, so as, for example, to avoid disturbing the listening of a cassette or radio with a sound message. So that the receiver has all the necessary messages when the driver starts, time base means, programmable by it, can advantageously be provided to activate the receiver at a time previously determined by

the motorist.

  In order to obtain a compact embodiment, it is convenient for the message decoding means, the message selection means and the speech processing means to be included in a signal processor. various tasks of the receiver is thus simplified, since it is the processor of

  signal that determines this sequence.

  To activate the receiver automatically, it can be provided means sensitive to the opening of a door of the motor vehicle and activating in such cases the means of speech processing The motorist can thus, after selecting a route, take immediately knowledge of possible messages

stored.

  Conveniently, a memory module may comprise the geographic data, the program used for the selection means, the data relating to said problems and the data for the speech processing. For example, it is possible, for example, to have only one memory component.

  appropriately sized, managed access sharing.

  The invention will be better understood using the

  following description of the preferred embodiment

  of the receiver of the invention, with reference to FIG.

unique of the annexed drawing.

  The receiver is implanted in a car, not shown, and it comprises a reception antenna connected to an input of a demodulator 12 connected at the output to a signal processing processor 13 and transmitting thereto, in a usable form by the latter, signals representative of signals received by the antenna 11 The signals correspond to broadcast messages, here of the RDS type, and transmitted by a TMC channel The RDS system is defined in a specification of the European Union Broadcasting,

  published in March 1984 and bearing the Tech.

3244 F.

  The processor 13 is also connected at the input, by unrepresented interface circuits, to a microphone 14 as well as to an alphanumeric keyboard 15 implanted on the dashboard of the car and usable by the motorist to transmit signals.

  commands to the receiver.

  A bus 16 for the transmission of data and addresses connects the processor 13 to a message memory 20, consisting of a random access memory RAM (random access memory) in which can be stored the messages received by the processor 13 from the demodulator 12, while a memory 21 of messages to present, of the same type as the previous one and connected to the bus 16, contains, in a suitable format, messages intended to be transmitted to a character display 22 implanted on the dashboard of the car or a speaker 23 located in the car The character display 22 and the speaker 23 are respectively connected to a clean output of the processor 13 having a coupler circuit, not shown to the bus 16 is also connected a route memory 24, containing code words representing routes chosen by the motorist, memory type EEPROM (read-only memory electrically erasable and a transcoding memory 25, of the ROM (Read Only Memory) type, containing transcoding tables, listed below: a transcoding table containing a sequence of localizations of potential traffic problems -7 concerning a predetermined geographical extent, such as an urban area or main roads, each location identity being output, in understandable form by the motorist, when a code word, standardized in the RDS system, specific to a location , is applied at the entrance of the table; a transcoding table, of the same kind as the previous one, for receiving and decoding additional information contained in a received message, indicating the cause or the effect of the problem, for example the kind of traffic problem, the direction of traffic affected or the probable duration of the problem, the information decoded above being provided in a form comprehensible to the motorist; a transcoding table providing at least one geographical zone codeword, included in the geographic extent indicated above, in response to the receipt of a codeword corresponding to a geographical name provided by the motorist a table of transcoding providing a route code word in response to a plurality of geographic area code words, of the type from those from the previous transcoding table, accompanied by a codeword representing a logical intersection or intersection operator, whose role is explained below, and also providing, on request of the processor 13, route code words for neighboring deviation routes; a transcoding table providing a list of potential problem location code words in -8 - response to a route code word of the type of those

  from the previous transcoding table.

  A ROM-type sound signal processing memory 26 connected to the bus 16 comprises databases intended for analysis of the sound signals reaching the processor 13 via the microphone 14 and a speech synthesis for the control. In this example, the analysis of the voice signals coming from the motorist is of the multilocutor type, that is to say that the speech recognition does not require learning on the part of the receiver. To guarantee a low error rate, the vocabulary to be recognized is of limited volume. Speech synthesis is performed in a known manner by rules, from diphones stored in the processing memory 26 and using, from codes representing words to synthesize, an algorithm

  adapted stored in this memory 26.

  The sequencing of the operation of the processor 13 is controlled by a program memory 27, of the ROM type, connected to the bus 16 and supplying the processor 13 with a desired succession of commands. A time base circuit 28, located in the processor 13, provides signals.

  clock needed for the various electronic circuits.

  It comprises programmable counters arranged to activate the receiver, through the processor 13, at certain times previously selected by the motorist by means of the keyboard 15 or the microphone 14 The activation of the receiver can also be performed automatically, when the opening the door on the driver's side, by the change of state of a contactor 29 breaking, when the associated door is opened, the electrical continuity of a looped wire, shown schematically by a single link, of which - the two -9 -

  ends are respectively connected to the processor 13.

  The deactivation of the receiver is controlled from a relay 30, shown schematically by a movable blade, whose coil is energized when the ignition key of the car is in position electrically supplying the engine thereof, and which, in otherwise, interrupts the electrical continuity of a loop wire, shown in a wired fashion, whose two ends are respectively connected to the

processor 13.

  The operation of the receiver is as follows.

  First, the motorist vocally provides the receiver, by means of the microphone 14, a choice of a route by limiting itself to the intended vocabulary, limited for example to the numbers from 0 to 9, letters of the alphabet and a few words, such as "AND", "OR", common names designating lines of communication, such as "street", "highway" and other words commonly used

to designate a path.

  The above vocabulary makes it possible to name geographical areas and to define a restricted geographical area common to them. It also makes it possible to associate geographical areas and in particular restricted geographical areas. This is done by combinations controlled by the words. "AND" and "OR" above which denote logical operators "AND" and "OR" respectively corresponding to an intersection and to a logical meeting. For example, if it has been entered vocally the name of a motorway, representing therefore a road axis, then the word "AND" followed by the name of a geographical area representing a surface, this determines a restricted geographical area which is a stretch of the highway located in this geographical area The word -10- "OR" for its part is used to perform, for example, the end-to-end implementation of various route sections defined as above, defining a selected total route, by means of a logical meeting. basic routes. The processor 13 performs the above determination by first analyzing the phonic signals from the microphone 14, by means of the algorithms contained in the processing memory 26 If words, or simply numbers or letters, are thus recognized, they are, in a first step, judiciously assembled to group, for example, a letter A followed by a number 6 which would designate a highway named A 6 and, moreover, to group other symbols, for example the numbers 7 and 5 denoting a geographical area named 75 If the word "AND" is recognized between A 6 and 75, the processor 13 determines that it is the portion of

  Highway A 6 included in geographical area 75.

  By sending to the transcoding memory 25, in a next step, the code words of the geographical areas A 6 and 75 and a codeword representing the logical operator "AND", the processor 13 receives in return a word of route code, designating the section of the A 6 motorway concerned, which it stores in the route memory 24 However, the above section must be within the predetermined geographical extent of the transcoding table, if applicable , this operation is repeated for the various sections of the route mentioned above, which are each defined by geographical names and by their own logical operators. The names of several complete routes can thus be initially stored. identification of each stored route is also introduced by the driver and stored with the code word of the route. In order to avoid errors when the processor 13 memorizes the choice of a route in the route memory 24, a read-only memory which will retain its data even after the receiver has been switched off, the processor 13 retranscribes, on the display 22, the recognized route selection, in the form of the names of the recognized geographical zones, accompanied by the indication of the logical mode of combination of these zones as expressed

  by the motorist using the logical operator.

  The display can be simply a transcription of the commands coming from the motorist or it can be reformatted by the processor 13, to be more explicit, for example by designating, by words of its own, the chosen route , words associated with the code word of the latter The messages displayed come from the memory 21 of messages to be presented, previously and temporarily filled for this purpose by the processor 13, in the format desired for the display

  22, using the phonologically recognized code words.

  The motorist validates or invalidates the choice recognized by means of the microphone 14 or by pressing a key,

  among two possibilities, the keyboard 15.

  Similarly, in order to avoid unintentional activations of the voice recognition function due to noise, it is intended to activate it only for a few minutes after the change of state of the contactor 29 or after action on the keyboard. change of state of the contactor 29 also has the effect of disabling the receiver, after a delay of a few minutes performed by the time base circuit 28, if the engine of the car is stopped, which is detected by the relay 30, whose change of state is perceived by the microprocessor 13 and transmitted to the time base circuit 28 The messages contained in the RAM RAM 20 are then previously saved in a part reserved for this purpose of the EEPROM memory 24 and retransferred in the RAM memory 20 during activation

subsequent receiver.

  A reproduction, in voice form, of the identity of the chosen route is also, in this example, performed, the processor 13 sending to the processing memory 26 code words representing the words to be synthesized and the latter providing it then in return a sequence of logic signals The processor 13 converts the latter into an analog electrical signal shaped by the coupler of the speaker 23 and modulating the latter to make him acoustically reproduce the voice signal synthesized electronically. Having initially stored one or more routes in ROM, the motorist can then, by the

next, select one.

  On command, by the microphone 14 or the keyboard 15, the stored routes are displayed on the display 22 or by voice synthesis, one of them being then selected, as well as its meaning, by a command

voice or keyboard 15.

  It is also provided, by means of the keyboard 15, that the motorist chooses and memorizes routes and then selects one of them. This is done according to the principle described above, without

  require the specified voice recognition.

  Moreover, the broadcast messages received by the antenna 11 arrive, by the demodulator 12, the processor 13 which performs a sorting among them according to the route selected last To do this, when a message is received, the processor 13 determines whether it concerns a location on the selected route, in order to memorize the message only in this case Since the latter may include several locations of potential problems, the corresponding route code word or words to the selected route, are transmitted to the transcoding memory, which in response provides a list of potential problem location codewords for the selected route, ie located on it or in its neighborhood, on diversion routes. The processor 13 then performs a comparison between the location code word contained in the received message, designating a location where there is a problem, and the above list of location code words relating to the selected route. one of the localization code words of the list corresponds to that of the received message, the processor 13 then controls the

  storing the message in the message memory 20.

  Otherwise, the message is lost The storage in the memory 20 is in fact a restored message corresponding to the received message which has been transmitted for transcoding to the transcoding memory 25 in order to have in return a retransmitted message containing The processor 13 stores only the messages concerning the predetermined geographical extent contained in the transcoding memory, insofar as they are likely to be transmitted. -14- relevant, that is to say concerning the selected route. It will be understood that the use of route code words makes it possible to reduce the volume of the route memory 24 and the time required to sort the messages, but that it would however be possible to initially store the raw data of choice of route from the motorist At each arrival of the message, the transcoding memory 25 would then be used to obtain lists of locations located in the selected geographical areas, by carrying out the indicated logical operators making it possible to retain only the locations of

the route or its neighborhood.

  In order to avoid a dead time between the moment when the motorist enters his car, which activates the receiver through the contactor 29, and the moment when the receiver has memorized enough messages to satisfactorily transcribe the problems of traffic, the driver can initially program, by means of the keyboard 15 or by voice command with the microphone 14, the time base circuit 28 so that it activates the receiver a few moments before the expected arrival of the motorist The receiver memorizes then messages about a route

  selected in advance by the driver.

  The stored messages concerning the locations of the selected route are, when

  memorization, rendered in voice form by the loudspeaker

  In addition, the motorist can order a subsequent rendering by action on the keyboard 15 or by means of the microphone 14, which commands the processor 13 to respond quickly to requests of this kind. , the latter has previously read the messages in the message memory 20, has transmitted them to the transcoding memory 25 to obtain the corresponding information on locations and problems, in a form understandable by the motorist, and then memorized these in the memory 21 of messages to be presented The above information is then transformed, at the request of the motorist, in voice transmission by means of the processing memory 26, the microprocessor 13 possibly improving the usability of the message, or they are transmitted,

  in the desired form, on the display 22.

  The message memory 21 to be presented normally contains only the messages of direct interest to the selected route, but the motorist can however order the delivery of messages concerning

diversion routes.

  The embodiment described above includes memories that can be physically grouped into a single circuit which can, in addition, also include the processor 13. -16-

Claims (9)

  1 A motor vehicle navigation aid receiver intended to receive, by transmitters and a specific broadcasting channel, coded messages containing at least problem locations of a finite sequence of locations stored in memory in the receiver and comprising means (13,25) for decoding messages, means for rendering (22,23), in the form accessible to a motorist, messages received and stored, memory means (25) containing geographical data relating to a geographical area, and means (14,15) of choice of route, controllable by the motorist, characterized in that it comprises means for selecting (13) and storing (20) arranged messages for receiving, from said decoding means (13,25), restored messages, for selecting and memorizing them under the control of said memory means (25) and said means (14,15) choice of route.   The onboard receiver according to claim 1, wherein the route selection means comprises a predicted speech processing circuit (26).   to perform voice recognition.   The on-board receiver according to claim 2, wherein said speech processing circuit (26) is arranged to perform voice recognition, of the multilocutor type.   4 on-board receiver according to one of claims 2   and 3, wherein said speech processing circuit (26) is arranged to perform speech synthesis and to control said speech means. restitution (23).   An onboard receiver according to claim 4, wherein said speech processing circuit (26) is arranged to perform speech synthesis. by rules.   6 on-board receiver according to one of claims 1 to   , in which the means of restitution comprise a display (22).   Receiver on board according to one of claims 1 to   6, in which a time base circuit (28), programmable by the motorist, is provided for activating said receiver at a time determined by the motorist.   8 on-board receiver according to one of claims 1 to   7, wherein said message decoding means (13,25), message selecting means (13) and speech processing circuit (26) are   included in a signal processor (13).   9 receiver according to one of claims 1 to   8, in which means (29) are provided that are sensitive to the opening of a door of the motor vehicle and are arranged to activate, in such a case,   said speech processing circuit (26).   Ship's receiver according to one of Claims 1 to   9, wherein a memory module comprises said geographic data (25), said program (27) serving the selection means (13), said database (25) relating to said problems and said database (26) for the treatment of speech.