Abstract: A facility-information guidance device (38) includes a facility-search request transmitter (31) for transmitting to a second server device (3) a facility-search request signal including information about an occupant of a host vehicle (1), a facility information receiver (36) for receiving from the second server device (3) facility information about a facility satisfying a search condition set up using the information included in the facility-search request signal, and an output controller (37) for performing either a control operation to cause a display device (28) to display a screen image including the facility information, or a control operation to cause a sound output device (29) to output a sound including the facility information. When a facility satisfying the search condition for a single facility exists, the facility information receiver (36) receives facility information about the single facility from the second server device (3).

Abstract: A correspondence relationship between keywords for instructing the start of a speech dialogue and modes of a response is defined in a response-mode correspondence table. A response-mode selecting unit selects a mode of a response corresponding to a keyword included in the recognition result of a speech recognition unit using the response-mode correspondence table. A dialogue controlling unit starts the speech dialogue when the keyword is included in the recognition result of the speech recognition unit, determines a response in accordance with the subsequent recognition result from the speech recognition unit, and controls a mode of the response in such a manner as to match the mode selected by the response-mode selecting unit. A speech output controlling unit generates speech data on the basis of the response and mode controlled by the dialogue controlling unit and outputs the speech data to a speaker.

Abstract: Because an information providing system according to the present invention generates recognition object words for selecting one headline from a plurality of headlines in such a way that the recognition object words do not overlap one another, the information providing system can select a headline uniquely through the user's utterance, and present information (content) corresponding to the headline selected thereby, and therefore the convenience to the user is improved.

Abstract: Because a voice recognition device in accordance with the present invention can change the position where or the display form in which a display item corresponding to a voice recognition result is displayed according to the degree of importance of a display area in which the display item is displayed when recognizing a voice uttered by the user, the voice recognition device can prevent the acquisition of other information important for the user from being blocked due to the display of the display item, and improve the user's convenience.

Abstract: Because in a server for navigation that causes a navigation device mounted in a moving object to provide guidance on a moving route and display map data on the basis of the map data and the position of the moving object, from a recognition result of a user's utterance and position information, evaluation information about a point or is acquired automatically, an evaluation about the point can be left automatically and safely without requiring the user's special operation. Further, by adding the evaluation information to map data and displaying this map data at the time of use, the navigation system enables the user to revisit a point through which the user desires to pass once again, bypass a point through which the user desires to never pass again, and so on without requiring the user's work of consciously memorizing the impression about each point and so on.

Abstract: An information presentation system 1 includes: an extraction unit 12 configured to extract, from among linguistic units such as word strings included in a reading text, additional information related to the linguistic units which is capable of being acquired from an information source, as a word-of-speech-recognition target; a synthesis controller 13 configured to output accent information for use in speech-synthesis for reading out the reading text, and the word-of-speech-recognition target extracted by the extraction unit 12; a speech synthesizer 14 configured to read out the reading text using the accent information received from the synthesis controller 13; and a display controller 15 configured to control a display 4 to display the word-of-speech-recognition target received from the synthesis controller 13, in synchronization with a timing where the speech synthesizer 14 reads out the word-of-speech-recognition target.

Abstract: A voice recognition system, when deciding that a user is about to select a voice recognition result displayed on a screen while the system continuously recognizes a voice uttered, stops a display update of the recognition result on the display unit, thereby being able to prevent the recognition result from disappearing or from changing to other recognition result at the moment when the user is about to select the recognition result. This makes it possible to prevent a user from carrying out an unwanted operation, and to improve the convenience of the user.

Abstract: A speech recognition system, which continuously recognizes speech uttered by at least one user and controls a navigation system on the basis of a recognition result, includes: a speech-operation-intention determination unit for determining—whether or not the user has made a recognized speech with the intention of operating the navigation system through speech; and a control mode altering unit for changing, when the speech-operation-intention determination unit determines that the user has no operation intention, the control mode of the navigation system in such a manner that the user is less aware of or pays less attention to the control mode than the case in which the speech-operation-intention determination unit determines that the user has an intention of operating the navigation system.

Abstract: A detector 5 detects words acoustically similar to each other from text information, and a selector 7 selects a synonym from a storage 6, the synonym corresponding to a word detected by the detector 5 and being acoustically neither the same as nor similar to any word existing in the text information. A replacer 8 replaces the word detected by the detector 5 with the synonym selected by the selector 7.

Abstract: Because an information providing system according to the present invention generates recognition object words for selecting one headline from a plurality of headlines in such a way that the recognition object words do not overlap one another, the information providing system can select a headline uniquely through the user's utterance, and present information (content) corresponding to the headline selected thereby, and therefore the convenience to the user is improved.

Abstract: Because a voice recognition device in accordance with the present invention can adjust the output of a voice recognition result according to the priority of a display of the recognition result with respect to display information other than the voice recognition result at all times while recognizing an uttered voice, the voice recognition device prevents the acquisition of other information important for the user from being blocked due to the display of the recognition result, and improves the user's convenience.

Abstract: A detector 5 detects words acoustically similar to each other from text information, and a selector 7 selects a synonym from a storage 6, the synonym corresponding to a word detected by the detector 5 and being acoustically neither the same as nor similar to any word existing in the text information. A replacer 8 replaces the word detected by the detector 5 with the synonym selected by the selector 7.

Abstract: According to a speech recognition device of the present invention, even in the case where there are many abutting sight-line detection areas or many overlapping portions between sight-line detection areas, as exemplified by the case where a plurality of icons (display objects) are congested on a display screen, it is possible to narrow down to thereby identify one icon (display object) efficiently using a sight line and a speech-based operation, and further to decrease false recognition, so that the user's convenience can be enhanced.

Abstract: Because in a server for navigation that causes a navigation device mounted in a moving object to provide guidance on a moving route and display map data on the basis of the map data and the position of the moving object, from a recognition result of a user's utterance and position information, evaluation information about a point or is acquired automatically, an evaluation about the point can be left automatically and safely without requiring the user's special operation. Further, by adding the evaluation information to map data and displaying this map data at the time of use, the navigation system enables the user to revisit a point through which the user desires to pass once again, bypass a point through which the user desires to never pass again, and so on without requiring the user's work of consciously memorizing the impression about each point and so on.

Abstract: A voice recognition system, when deciding that a user is about to select a voice recognition result displayed on a screen while the system continuously recognizes a voice uttered, stops a display update of the recognition result on the display unit, thereby being able to prevent the recognition result from disappearing or from changing to other recognition result at the moment when the user is about to select the recognition result. This makes it possible to prevent a user from carrying out an unwanted operation, and to improve the convenience of the user.

Abstract: Because a voice recognition device in accordance with the present invention can change the position where or the display form in which a display item corresponding to a voice recognition result is displayed according to the degree of importance of a display area in which the display item is displayed when recognizing a voice uttered by the user, the voice recognition device can prevent the acquisition of other information important for the user from being blocked due to the display of the display item, and improve the user's convenience.

Abstract: Because a voice recognition device in accordance with the present invention can adjust the output of a voice recognition result according to the priority of a display of the recognition result with respect to display information other than the voice recognition result at all times while recognizing an uttered voice, the voice recognition device prevents the acquisition of other information important for the user from being blocked due to the display of the recognition result, and improves the user's convenience.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for further purifying ultrapure water, according to which any impurities in ultrapure water can be stably removed to a high degree within a small space over a prolonged period; and an apparatus therefor. Ultrapure water introduced into an ultrapure-water purifying apparatus 10 passes through an ion exchange resin layer 5 in a lower chamber 1a. During this process, metal ions, for example, in the ultrapure water are removed by the ion exchange resin. The ultrapure water then passes through a perforated plate 4, flows into an upper chamber 1b, and permeates an ion exchange filter 6. During this process, metal ions and other impurities remaining unremoved by the ion exchange resin layer 5 are removed. Specifically, metal ions are removed to a certain extent by the ion exchange resin, so that it is enough for the ion exchange filter provided downstream thereof to remove an extremely small amount of metal ions.

Abstract: A voice recognition device includes a voice recognition dictionary in which a word which is recognized as a result of voice recognition on an inputted voice is registered, a reply voice data storage unit for storing recorded voice data about words registered in the voice recognition dictionary, a dialog control unit for, when a word registered in the voice recognition dictionary is recognized, acquiring recorded voice data corresponding to the word from the reply voice data storage unit, a reproduction noise reduction unit for carrying out a process of reducing noise included in the recorded voice data, an amplitude adjusting unit for adjusting an amplitude of the recorded voice data in which the noise has been reduced to a predetermined amplitude level, and a voice reproduction unit for reproducing a voice from the amplitude-adjusted recorded voice data.

Abstract: A voice synthesis device according to the present invention regularly recognizes the contents of an utterance made by a passenger or the like, and specifies a word before abbreviation corresponding to an abbreviation included in a facility name or the like which is included in the utterance contents by using the facility name or the like. Therefore, the voice synthesis device can read the abbreviation out loud while preventing the passenger from being forced to perform a burdensome operation of, for example, registering the word before abbreviation corresponding to the abbreviation and using a reading method familiar to and appropriate for the passenger.