Patent ID: 7474958
Filing Date: 2009-01-06
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
1. An information providing apparatus for a vehicle comprising: an off-vehicle information storage device in which a plurality of different sets of information to be provided to a plurality of on-vehicle apparatuses, via a telephone line, are stored; a user information storage device; a customizing device configured to allow each of a plurality of users to customize audio guidance specific to each of the plurality of users and store the customized audio guidance in the user information storage device in correspondence to each of the plurality of users; an interactive voice response device having a speech recognition function and providing audio guidance, configured to identify a user among the plurality of users, obtain the customized audio guidance specific to the identified user from the user information storage device and engage in a dialogue with the user through an automatic voice response via a telephone line using the customized audio guidance obtained from the user information storage device; an information acquisition device configured to obtain a specific set of information from the off-vehicle information storage device based upon the dialogue between the user and the interactive voice response device that uses the customized audio guidance stored in the user information storage device; and an information transmission device configured to transmit the specific set of information obtained by the information acquisition device to at least one of the plurality of on-vehicle apparatuses.