Route Guidance System for Automobile Drivers by Speech Synthesis

Abstract

This paper describes a route guidance system for automobile drivers by speech synthesis and road-vehicle digital communication. The system, included in a computer-aided driving instruction system installed on a training ground, aims to guide a driving trainee along a route fixed by an instructor. The system consists of a personal computer in the control center, on-board computers in each automobile, and inductive loop antennas. At an inductive loop antenna buried in the road and connected to the control center, transmitting the ID number, each automobile receives data code, with which speech data stored in the ROM of the on-board computer are retrieved and edited to a route guidance message. It is outputted in a synthesized female voice by ADPCM. The carrier frequency for the road-vehicle communication from a road is 223.2 kHz and that from a vehicle is 304.8 kHz. Data, modulated by minimum frequency shift keying, are transmitted at 9600 bps. The data frame is based on the HDLC. Experiments by trainees show that the route guidance system by speech synthesis is effective on the training ground.