JP2009080183A - Voice recognition control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A voice recognition control apparatus capable of immediately controlling a device using a voice recognition function even after the voice recognition function is turned off.
A voice recognition control device that includes a voice recognition unit that recognizes a voice command issued by a user and that controls a device according to the voice command. Switch means for switching between the state and the off state, and a counter 13a for starting the time measurement from the time when the switch means for switching the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state is performed. The counter 13a measures the time. The speech recognition unit 12 has an on period in which the speech recognition unit 12 is in an on state within a period from the start of measurement until a predetermined time is measured.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a voice recognition control device that recognizes a voice command issued by a user and controls a device in accordance with the voice command.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a speech recognition control device that performs control of a device in accordance with a recognized voice command when an uttered voice from a user is input from a voice input unit and the input uttered voice is recognized as corresponding to a predetermined voice command. It is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a voice recognition control device that can add a voice recognition function to a hot water supply system that does not have a microphone or voice recognition function without exchanging a remote control.
JP 2006-329580 A

  In the invention described in claim 4 of Patent Document 1, the remote control operation determining means determines whether or not the remote controller of the hot water supply heat source device is in an operating state (operating switch is in an on state), and controls only when the remote controller is in an operating state. The signal generation means executes control signal generation processing to prevent malfunction of the hot water supply heat source machine.

  However, after turning off the operation switch and disabling the voice recognition function, the user may sometimes forget to turn off the device or forget to turn it on. In this case, it is necessary for the user to return to the place where the remote controller is located and operate the device after the remote controller is in an activated state. Therefore, when the user has already moved away from the remote control, it is not possible to immediately respond to forgetting to turn off the device or forget to turn it on.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to immediately control a device using the voice recognition function even after the voice recognition function is turned off. A voice recognition control device is provided.

  A feature of the present invention is a voice recognition control device that includes a voice recognition unit that recognizes a voice command issued by a user, and that controls a device according to the voice command. A switch means for switching between the state and the off state, and a counter for starting the time measurement from the time when the switch means for switching the voice recognition unit from the on state to the off state is performed. Within a period until the predetermined time is measured, the voice recognition unit has an on period in which the voice recognition unit is in an on state.

  Here, when “the operation of the switch means for switching the voice recognition unit from the on state to the off state is performed”, the voice recognition unit recognizes a voice command to switch the voice recognition unit from the on state to the off state. And a time when a switch operation for switching the voice recognition unit from the on state to the off state is performed by the user's manual input.

  The switch operation or voice for switching the voice recognition unit from the on state to the off state by having an on period in which the voice recognition unit is in the on state within a period from when the counter starts measuring until a predetermined time is measured. Even when the user remembers forgetting to turn off the device or forgetting to turn it on after the user issues the command, it is possible to immediately control the device remotely from the on period when the voice recognition unit is on.

  In the characteristics of the present invention, all the periods from when the counter starts measuring time to when measuring the predetermined time may be on-periods.

  The user performs a switch operation or a voice command to switch the voice recognition unit from the on state to the off state by setting all the periods from when the counter starts measuring time until the predetermined time is measured as the on period. It is possible to use the voice recognition function immediately after.

  In the feature of the present invention, the period from when the counter starts measuring time until it measures a certain time shorter than the predetermined time is an off period in which the voice recognition unit is in the off state, and the counter measures the certain time. The period from when the predetermined time is measured until the predetermined time may be an ON period.

  Immediately after performing an operation or a command to switch the voice recognition unit to the off state, it is assumed that the distance between the user and the voice recognition unit is as short as possible. For this reason, after the counter starts measuring time, the voice recognition unit needs to be turned on until a predetermined time elapses when the user is assumed to be close to the voice recognition unit to the extent that the switch operation is possible. The nature is low.

  Immediately after performing the operation of switching the voice recognition unit to the off state, a lot of noise other than the voice uttered by the user is generated, and the voice recognition performance is degraded. For this reason, if the voice recognition unit is turned on immediately after the operation for switching the voice recognition unit to the off state, erroneous recognition in voice recognition occurs, which causes a malfunction of the device. Therefore, an error in speech recognition is made by turning the voice recognition unit off for a certain period of time after performing an operation or command to switch the voice recognition unit off, and turning it on for a certain period of time after a certain period of time has elapsed. Recognition is suppressed, it is robust against noise, the speech recognition rate is improved, and malfunction of the device can be suppressed.

  In the feature of the present invention, the voice recognition control device further includes an exit detection unit that detects that the user exits the room in which the voice recognition unit is installed, and the exit detection unit is configured to detect the exit after the counter starts measuring time. The period until the user exit is detected is an off period in which the voice recognition unit is in the off state, and the period from when the exit detection means detects the user exit until the counter measures a predetermined time is the on period. May be.

  By detecting the exit from the room where the voice recognition unit is installed, it is possible to accurately determine the period during which a lot of noise occurs after an operation or command for switching the voice recognition unit to the off state. Recognition can be further suppressed.

  In the feature of the present invention, it is desirable to further include teaching means for teaching the user that the voice recognition unit is in an on state or an off state using voice or light.

  By teaching the user that the speech recognition unit is in the on state or the off state using speech or light, it is possible to suppress the user's useless speech and improve the speech recognition rate.

  According to the present invention, an operation or command for turning off the voice recognition function by having an on period in which the voice recognition unit is in an on state within a period from when the counter starts measuring until a predetermined time is measured. Even after the operation, the device can be controlled immediately using the voice recognition function.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. In the embodiment of the present invention, a voice recognition control device that controls various devices installed in a bathroom by voice uttered by a user will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the speech recognition control apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention recognizes a case where a user's speech is input and the input speech is recognized as corresponding to a predetermined vocabulary (speech command). A voice recognition control unit 10 that performs control of the device in response to a voice command, and an exit detection unit 30 that detects exit of the user from the bathroom. The voice recognition control unit 10 controls the operation state of the bathroom device 20.

  The voice recognition control unit 10 includes a controller 11 that forms a user interface, and a voice recognition function having a voice recognition function that determines whether or not a user's voice command input via the controller 11 corresponds to a predetermined voice command. Unit 12, device control unit 13 that outputs a control signal for executing control of the device according to the voice command recognized by the voice recognition unit 12, and the control signal output from the device control unit 13 as the bathroom device 20 And a control IF (interface) unit 15 that transmits the exit detection signal output from the exit detection unit 30 to the device control unit 13 and a speech synthesis unit 14 that synthesizes speech output to the user.

  The speech recognition unit 12 collates the speech signal output from the speech input unit 40 with the collation data stored in the memory 12a in advance, and determines whether the speech signal corresponds to a predetermined speech command. . Specifically, the voice recognition unit 12 includes a memory 12a in which collation data corresponding to words (voice commands) to be recognized by the voice recognition unit 12 is stored, and a voice signal (speech) output from the voice input unit 40. Data) and the collation data stored in the memory 12a to determine whether the command is a voice command. If it is determined that the command is a voice command, a predetermined signal corresponding to the voice command is determined. Output to the device control unit 13.

  The device control unit 13 is a control device that controls the operation of each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 according to a predetermined program, and includes a microcomputer and a predetermined storage area (RAM). The device control unit 13 receives a predetermined signal corresponding to the voice command recognized by the voice recognition unit 12, or a predetermined signal corresponding to a button operation or switch operation (hereinafter referred to as “switch operation”) of the controller 11 described later. When the signal is received, a control signal corresponding to the voice command or switch operation is transmitted to each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20. In addition, the device control unit 13 includes a counter 13a that starts time measurement when a switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command is issued.

  The controller 11 picks up a voice uttered by the user and outputs it as an electrical signal (voice signal), a voice output unit 50 that outputs a predetermined voice to the user, and accepts a user switch operation. An operation button unit 60 and a display unit 70 that displays a predetermined screen or the like to the user are provided.

  The voice input unit 40 picks up a user's voice and converts it into a voice signal, a microphone 41, an amplifier 42 that amplifies the voice signal, and an A / D conversion that converts the amplified voice signal into a digital signal. Unit 43 and a noise subtracting unit 44 for removing a noise component from the digitized voice signal. The voice signal from which noise has been removed by the noise subtracting unit 44 is transmitted to the voice recognition unit 12.

  The audio output unit 50 includes a D / A conversion unit 51 that converts the audio signal synthesized by the audio synthesis unit 14 into an analog signal, an amplification unit 52 that amplifies the analog audio signal, and an amplified audio signal. And a speaker 53 that converts the sound into sound and outputs the sound.

  The operation button unit 60 includes various buttons for manually setting the operation of the bathroom device 20 by a user's manual input. In this state, the voice recognition function of the voice recognition unit 12 is valid (hereinafter referred to as “ON”). A voice recognition on / off switch 61 for switching between an “on state” and an invalid state (hereinafter referred to as “off state”), and a controller on / off switch 62 for switching on / off state of operation of the controller 11. .

  The display unit 70 includes an LED lamp 71 that displays a voice recognition control device and an operation state of each component of the bathroom device 20 to the user by turning on / off / flashing, and a voice recognition control device and an image such as characters and pictures. A liquid crystal display device 72 that displays the operating state and operating state of each component of the bathroom device 20 to the user.

  The bathroom equipment includes a lighting device 21, a ventilation fan 22, a water heater 23, and a television 24.

  The exit detection unit 30 includes a door opening / closing detection unit 31 that detects opening / closing of a bathroom door, a pressure sensor 32 installed on a floor near the door, and a human sensor 33 installed on a wall or ceiling near the door. It is.

  FIG. 2 is an external view showing an installation example of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 shown in FIG. In the embodiment of the present invention, the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 are provided in the bathroom. As the bathroom equipment 20, a lighting device 21, a ventilation fan 22, and a television 24 are provided. A controller 11 is installed near the bathtub 3 in the bathroom. In addition, the water heater 23 which is one of the bathroom devices 20 is installed outside the bathroom. The lighting device 21 is a device for illuminating the interior of the bathroom with artificial light, and the ventilation fan 22 is attached to the wall or window of the bathroom, and rotates the blades with a motor to discharge the air in the bathroom. It is an instrument.

  As the exit detection unit 30, a door opening / closing detection unit 31 and a pressure sensor 32 are installed. The door opening / closing detection unit 31 detects opening / closing of the door 2, in particular, the opening of the door 2, and the pressure sensor 32 is installed inside the floor in the bathroom or near the door outside the bathroom. It is detected that the door is opened and moved in and out of the bathroom.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2, the lighting device 21, the ventilation fan 22, the water heater 23, and the television 24 are given as examples of the bathroom device 20, but the bathroom device 20 includes a cassette tape, a CD, an MD, and the like. In addition, electric appliances for reproducing music and video stored in a recording medium such as a DVD, and electric appliances used by users in a bathroom such as a heating device and a personal computer are included.

  The controller 11 has the configuration shown in FIG. 3 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front external view showing details of the operation surface of the controller 11 shown in FIG. On the operation surface of the controller 11, a microphone 41 of the voice input unit 40, a speaker 53 of the voice output unit 50, various operation buttons 60 a to 60 h, a voice recognition on / off switch 61, a controller on / off switch 62, and a display unit 70 An LED lamp 71 and a liquid crystal display device 72 are arranged.

  The various operation buttons 60a to 60h include a menu button 60a, a confirmation button 60b, a return button 60c, a cross key 60d, a priority button 60e, a follow-up button 60f, a bath automatic button 60g, and a call button 60h. Among these buttons 60a to 60h, the priority button 60e, the chase button 60f, the automatic bath button 60g, and the call button 60h are used for controlling the water heater 23. The other buttons and switches are used not only for the hot water heater 23 but also for controlling each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20. As described above, the controller 11 is configured to serve as both a bathroom remote controller that controls each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 by a switch operation, and a control panel of the voice recognition control unit 10.

  Specifically, the priority button 60e is a button used when it is desired to set a hot water supply temperature or a shower temperature in the bathroom. In general, water and hot water are used not only in the bathroom but also in the kitchen. For this reason, even if the hot water supply temperature and the shower temperature of the water heater 23 are set, if water or hot water is used in other places, the actual hot water supply temperature or the shower temperature may be shifted. Therefore, by pressing the priority button 60e, it is possible to give priority to the bathroom over other places, and to prevent the actual hot water supply temperature and shower temperature from being shifted. When the priority button 60e is pressed, a priority mark (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 70 by a method such as turning on the LED lamp 71 or displaying a priority state on the liquid crystal display device 72.

  The chasing button 60f is a button used when raising the temperature of hot water in the bathtub. When the tracking button 60f is pressed, a tracking mark (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 70 in the same manner as the priority mark. The bath automatic button 60g is a button used when hot water is poured into the bathtub with a preset amount and temperature of hot water. When the automatic button 60g is pressed, an automatic mark (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 70 in the same manner as the priority mark.

  The call button 60h is a button used when making a call with a kitchen remote controller installed outside the bathroom, for example, in a kitchen. When the call button 60h is pressed, a call mark (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 70 in the same manner as the priority mark.

  The menu button 60a is a button for setting the operation of each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 by manual input. When the button 60a is pressed, the operation items of each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 (for example, ventilation fan off, TV power on, TV channel +1, door open / close detection unit on, voice recognition unit on, etc.) are displayed. A plurality of images are displayed on the liquid crystal display device 72. The user selects one action item by operating the cross key 60d from the plurality of action items.

  The confirmation button 60b is a button that is pressed when the operation of the operation item selected by operating the cross key 60d is executed by each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20. The return button 60c is a button used when returning the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display device 72 to the previous state. For example, when only about three operation items can be displayed on the liquid crystal display device 72, the next screen can be displayed by operating the cross key 60d. If the return button 60c is pressed, the transitioned screen can be restored and the operation items of the previous screen can be displayed on the liquid crystal display device 72. The cross key 60d is a button used for temperature setting of hot water supply temperature or shower temperature, setting of hot water volume, selection of operation items, selection of on / off, and the like.

  The controller on / off switch 62 is a button for turning on or off the power supply of the controller 11. Each time the controller on / off switch 62 is pressed, the power supply of the controller 11 is switched on and off. When the controller 11 is turned off by the controller on / off switch 62, the display of the liquid crystal display device 72 is erased, and the voice recognition control device and the components of the bathroom device 20 are controlled through the switch operation of the controller 11. It becomes invalid and the control of each component of the voice recognition control device and the bathroom device 20 by the user's uttered voice is also invalidated.

  The voice recognition on / off switch 61 is a switch for switching the voice recognition function of the voice recognition unit 12 between an on state and an off state, and every time the voice recognition on / off switch 61 is pressed, Switch between on and off. When the voice recognition unit 12 is turned off, the user cannot use the voice recognition function. Of course, instead of the voice recognition on / off switch 61, the menu button 60a is operated, and either the on or off of the voice recognition unit 12 displayed on the liquid crystal display device 72 is selected with the cross key 60d and the confirmation button 60b. By deciding, it is possible to switch the speech recognition unit 12 on and off.

  The voice recognition unit 12 is turned on / off by turning on / off the LED lamp 71 or displaying the voice recognition unit 12 on / off on the liquid crystal display device 72 by displaying the voice recognition unit 12 on / off. An off mark (not shown) is displayed. Alternatively, a voice indicating that the voice recognition unit 12 is on or off may be output from the speaker 53 to teach the user. Thus, by teaching the user that the speech recognition unit 12 is in the on state or the off state using speech or light, it is possible to suppress the user's useless utterance and improve the speech recognition rate. it can.

  Note that the same device control can be executed by using the voice recognition function of the user's uttered voice instead of the device control by the switch operation of the controller 11 described above. That is, the voice recognizing unit 12 stores a voice command having the same control content as the switch operation of the controller 11 in the memory 12a as collation data, and the voice signal (voice data) output from the voice input unit 40 is stored. Comparison and determination are performed with the verification data stored in the memory 12a.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of the dressing room 4 adjacent to the bathroom 1 through the bathroom 1 and the door 2 shown in FIG. The controller 11 and the television 24 are installed in the vicinity of the bathtub 3, the pressure sensor 32 is installed on the floor surface of the bathroom 1 near the door 2, the door opening / closing detection unit 31 is installed at the end of the door 2, and the vicinity of the door 2. A human sensor 33 is installed on the side wall of the dressing room 4. Here, the human sensor 33 is a sensor that detects a person's movement or the like in the detection range SA, and is not a sensor that detects a person but a change in the amount of heat rays emitted from a person or an animal. is there.

  When the user who uses the speech recognition control device in the bathroom operates the controller on / off switch 62 or utters that the controller is turned off when leaving the bathroom, the controller 11 is turned off. Then, the user moves from the bathroom 1 to the dressing room 4 through the door 2 and leaves the dressing room 4 from the door 5.

  The door opening / closing detection unit 31, the pressure sensor 32, and the human sensor 33 detect that the user leaves the bathroom 1 in which the voice recognition control device including the voice recognition unit 12 is installed. The pressure sensor 32 may be installed on the floor surface of the dressing room 4 and the human sensor 33 may be installed on the wall or ceiling on the bathroom 1 side.

  Next, the operation of the voice recognition control apparatus when there is a switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command in the voice recognition control apparatus shown in FIG. Here, “when there is a switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12 or an instruction by voice” means that the operation of the operation button unit 60 for switching the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state by the user's manual input. Indicates when the voice recognition unit 12 recognizes a voice command issued by the user when the voice recognition unit 12 is switched from the on state to the off state, or “switch for switching the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state” This corresponds to “when the operation of the means is performed”.

  First, the counter 13a in the device control unit 13 starts measuring time when there is a switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command. Within the period from when the counter 13a starts measuring time to when measuring a predetermined time, the voice recognition unit has an ON period. In other words, the device control unit 13 forms an on period in which the voice recognition unit 12 is in an on state within a period from when the counter 13a starts measuring time until the predetermined time is measured. Thereby, even if the user recognizes forgetting to turn off the device or forgetting to turn it on after the user performs a button operation or a voice command to switch the speech recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state, the voice recognition unit 12 The device can be immediately and remotely controlled during the ON period, which is in the ON state.

  Note that the voice recognition control unit 10 records noise generated every time a predetermined time elapses after a switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command is issued, and causes the voice recognition unit 12 to be recorded. Learns the noise generated after a switch operation to turn off or a voice command. Then, by subtracting the noise learned in advance from the sound source input from the microphone 41, it is possible to suppress misrecognition of speech recognition that occurs within a predetermined time and to suppress malfunction of the device. The behavior when leaving the bathroom is generally made a habit, and noise generated after performing an operation or command to turn off the voice recognition unit 12 is observed to some degree, and thus occurs. It is possible to learn noise.

Here, in the period from when the counter 13a starts measuring time until the predetermined time is measured, it is sufficient that there is an ON period in which the speech recognition unit 12 is in the ON state, and the ON period occupies the predetermined time. The position of the on period with respect to the ratio and the predetermined time is not limited. Hereinafter, three examples of the ratio of the ON period to the predetermined time and the position of the ON period with respect to the predetermined time will be described.
Example 1
With reference to FIG. 5, Example 1 of the operation | movement procedure of the speech recognition control apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is demonstrated. Here, when the user performs a switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command, the period from the time when the counter 13a starts measuring time until the predetermined time is measured is the voice recognition unit 12. A case will be described in which the ON period is set to ON.

  Here, “switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12” includes an off operation of the voice recognition unit 12 by the voice recognition on / off switch 61, an off operation of the controller operation by the controller on / off switch 62, and various operation buttons 60a. The operation of the controller by ˜60d or the operation of turning off the voice recognition unit 12 is included. The “command by voice to turn off the voice recognition unit 12” includes a command by voice to turn off the operation of the controller in addition to the command by voice to turn off the voice recognition unit 12. The operation of the controller 11 includes the operation of the voice recognition unit 12.

  (A) When power is supplied to the voice recognition control device and the voice recognition control device is activated, the voice recognition control device determines whether or not the operation switch of the controller 11 is on (S101). If the result of determination is that it is on (YES in S101), the routine proceeds to step S103, where it is determined whether or not a voice command has been input. When the user's voice command is input (YES in S103), the process proceeds to the subsequent step S105, where the voice recognition unit 12 changes the input voice command to “a voice command to invalidate the voice recognition unit 12”. Judge whether it is applicable. If it is determined that the command corresponds to a voice command to turn off voice recognition unit 12 (YES in S105), the process proceeds to step S109.

  (B) When a command by the user's voice is not input (NO at S103), or when it is determined that the input command by the voice does not correspond to the “command by voice that invalidates the voice recognition unit 12” (in S105) NO), the process proceeds to step S107, and it is determined whether or not there is a “switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12.” If there is a switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12, the process proceeds to step S109, and if there is no switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12, the process returns to step S103 again.

  As described above, in steps S103 to S107, a “switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12” or a “command by voice for turning off the voice recognition unit 12” is put on standby.

  (C) In step S109, the device control unit 13 maintains the voice recognition unit 12 in the on state without turning it off, and at the same time, starts measuring time using the counter 13a.

  (D) Proceed to step S111 and wait until the time measured by the counter 13a reaches a predetermined time. When the counter 13a measures a predetermined time, that is, when the predetermined time has elapsed since the counter 13a started measuring time (YES in S111), the process proceeds to step S113, and the device control unit 13 causes the voice recognition unit 12 to Switch from on to off.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, at the same time when the counter 13a starts measuring time, the voice recognition unit 12 is kept on, and the voice recognition unit 12 is turned off when the counter 13a measures a predetermined time. . Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the period from when the counter 13a starts measuring time until the predetermined time is measured is all the on-period. This makes it possible to use the voice recognition function immediately after the user performs a switch operation or a voice command to switch the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state.

The predetermined time can be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, in the case of the arrangement example of FIG. 4, the predetermined time may be an estimated time from when the switch operation of the controller 11 or a command by voice is performed until the door 2 is opened and the bathroom 1 is exited. It is good also as assumption time until leaving the dressing room 4 through the door 5 after giving a command by a switch operation or an audio | voice. Even if you remember to forget to turn off or turn off the device in the bathroom 1 or in the dressing room 4 after turning off the voice recognition function in the bathroom 1 etc. by setting the predetermined time appropriately In this case, the device can be operated immediately from a remote location using the voice recognition function.
(Example 2)
A second embodiment of the operation procedure of the voice recognition control apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, when a user performs a switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command, a period from when the counter 13a starts measuring time until a certain time shorter than a predetermined time is measured is voice. A case will be described in which the recognition unit 12 is in an off period in which the recognition unit 12 is in an off state, and the period from when the counter 13a measures a predetermined time until the predetermined time is measured is an on period.

  (A) Each procedure of steps S201 to S107 in FIG. 6 indicates a standby state of “switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12” or “command by voice for turning off the voice recognition unit 12”. 5 is the same as steps S101 to S107 in FIG.

  (B) In step S209, the device control unit 13 switches the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state, and simultaneously starts measuring time using the counter 13a.

  (C) Proceed to step S211, and wait for the time measured by the counter 13a to be a certain time shorter than the predetermined time. When the counter 13a measures a certain time, that is, when the certain time has elapsed since the counter 13a started measuring time (YES in S211), the process proceeds to step S213, where the device control unit 13 performs the voice recognition unit 12 Is switched from the off state to the on state.

  (D) Proceed to step S215, and wait until the time measured by the counter 13a reaches a predetermined time. When the counter 13a measures a predetermined time, that is, when the predetermined time has elapsed since the counter 13a started measuring time (YES in S215), the process proceeds to step S217, and the device control unit 13 causes the voice recognition unit 12 to Switch from on to off.

  Thus, in Example 2, the voice recognition unit 12 is switched from the on state to the off state at the same time when the counter 13a starts measuring time, and the voice recognition unit 12 is switched when the counter 13a measures a certain time. Turned on. When the predetermined time is measured, the voice recognition unit 12 is turned off again. Therefore, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, the period from the time when the counter 13a starts measuring the time until the predetermined time is measured is an off period, and the period from the predetermined time to the predetermined time is It becomes an on period. This makes it possible to use the voice recognition function immediately after the user performs a switch operation or a voice command to switch the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state.

  Immediately after performing the operation of switching the voice recognition unit 12 to the off state, it is assumed that the distance between the user and the voice recognition control unit 10 (voice recognition unit 12) is close enough to allow the switch operation. For this reason, after the counter 13a starts measuring time, the voice recognition unit 12 continues until a “certain time” is assumed that the user is close to the voice recognition control unit 10 to the extent that the switch operation is possible. There is little need to keep in the on state.

  Immediately after performing the operation of switching the voice recognition unit 12 to the off state, a lot of noise other than the voice uttered by the user is generated, and the voice recognition performance is deteriorated. For this reason, if the speech recognition unit 12 is turned on immediately after the operation for switching the speech recognition unit 12 to the off state, erroneous recognition occurs. Therefore, the operation for switching the speech recognition unit 12 to the off state is performed. By turning off after a certain period of time later, and turning on after a certain period of time has elapsed until a certain period of time has elapsed, erroneous recognition in speech recognition is suppressed, noise is robust, and the speech recognition rate is high A voice recognition control device can be provided.

In the second embodiment, a case has been described in which off and on are repeated only once after the voice recognition unit 12 is turned off. However, the number of repetitions may be repeated two or more times. May be set by
(Example 3)
A third embodiment of the operation procedure of the voice recognition control apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, when the user performs a switch operation to turn off the voice recognition unit 12 or a voice command, the exit detection unit 30 detects the user's exit from the bathroom 1 after the counter 13a starts measuring time. The period until the voice recognition unit 12 is in the off state is described as the off period, and the period from when the exit detection unit 30 detects the user's exit from the bathroom 1 until the predetermined time is measured is described as the on period. To do.

  (A) Each procedure of steps S301 to S307 in FIG. 7 indicates a standby state of “switch operation for turning off the voice recognition unit 12” or “command by voice for turning off the voice recognition unit 12”. 5 is the same as steps S101 to S107 in FIG.

  (B) In step S309, the device control unit 13 switches the voice recognition unit 12 from the on state to the off state, and simultaneously starts measuring time using the counter 13a.

  (C) The process proceeds to step S311 and waits for the exit detection unit 30 to detect the user's exit from the bathroom 1. When exit detection unit 30 detects the user's exit from bathroom 1 (YES in S311), the process proceeds to step S313, and device control unit 13 switches voice recognition unit 12 from the off state to the on state.

  (D) Proceed to step S315 and wait until the time measured by the counter 13a reaches a predetermined time. When the counter 13a measures a predetermined time, that is, when the predetermined time has elapsed since the counter 13a started measuring time (YES in S315), the process proceeds to step S317, and the device control unit 13 causes the voice recognition unit 12 to Switch from on to off.

Thus, in Example 3, the voice recognition unit 12 is switched from the on state to the off state at the same time when the counter 13a starts measuring time, and the exit detection unit 30 detects the exit from the bathroom 1 of the user. The voice recognition unit 12 is turned on. When the counter 13a measures a predetermined time, the voice recognition unit 12 is turned off again. That is, the period from when the counter 13a starts measuring time until the exit detection unit 30 detects the user's exit is defined as an off period in which the voice recognition unit 12 is in the off state, and the exit detection unit 30 detects the user's exit. A period from the detection to the time when the counter 13a measures a predetermined time is defined as an ON period. By switching the speech recognition unit 12 from OFF to ON at the timing when the exit detection unit 30 detects the user's exit, the period in which a lot of noise occurs after the operation of switching the speech recognition unit 12 to the OFF state is accurately performed. Since it can be determined, erroneous recognition of voice recognition can be further suppressed as compared with the second embodiment.
(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although this invention was described by one embodiment and Examples 1-3, it should not be understood that the description and drawing which form a part of this indication limit this invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  The speech recognition control device according to the present invention is not limited to a bathroom, and can be applied to other places such as a bedroom, a living room, a company desk, and a conference room, and the electric appliances installed in these rooms. Can be controlled.

  Thus, it should be understood that the present invention includes various embodiments and the like not described herein. Therefore, the present invention is limited only by the invention specifying matters according to the scope of claims reasonable from this disclosure.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the speech recognition control apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the bathroom equipment. It is an external view which shows the example of installation of the audio | voice recognition control apparatus and bathroom apparatus 20 which were shown in FIG. It is a front external view which shows the detail of the operation surface of the controller 11 shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows an example of arrangement | positioning of the dressing room 4 adjacent to the bathroom 1 through the bathroom 1 and the door 2 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows Example 1 of the operation | movement procedure of the speech recognition control apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows Example 2 of the operation | movement procedure of the speech recognition control apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of the operation procedure of the voice recognition control device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. It is a graph which shows switching of ON (effective) and OFF (invalid) of a voice recognition part in Examples 1-3.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bathroom 2 ... Door 3 ... Bathtub 4 ... Dressing room 5 ... Door 10 ... Voice recognition control part 11 ... Controller 12 ... Voice recognition part 12a ... Memory 13 ... Equipment control part 13a ... Counter 14 ... Voice synthesis part 15 ... Control IF Unit 20 ... Bathroom equipment 21 ... Lighting device 22 ... Ventilation fan 23 ... Hot water heater 24 ... TV 30 ... Exit detection unit (exit detection means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Door opening / closing detection part 32 ... Pressure sensor 33 ... Human sensor 40 ... Audio | voice input part 41 ... Microphone 42 ... Amplification part 43 ... A / D conversion part 44 ... Noise subtraction part 50 ... Audio | voice output part (teaching means)
51 ... D / A conversion section 52 ... amplification section 53 ... speaker 60 ... operation button section 60a ... menu button 60b ... confirmation button 60c ... return button 60d ... cross key 60e ... priority button 60f ... refreshing button 60g ... automatic button 60h ... Call button 61 ... Voice recognition on / off switch 62 ... Controller on / off switch 70 ... Display section (teaching means)
71 ... LED lamp 72 ... Liquid crystal display device SA ... Detection range

Claims (5)

A voice recognition control device comprising a voice recognition unit for recognizing a voice command issued by a user, and executing control of a device according to the voice command,
Switch means for switching between an on state and an off state of the voice recognition unit;
A counter that starts measuring time from when the switch means is operated to switch the voice recognition unit from on to off.
The speech recognition control apparatus, wherein the speech recognition unit has an on period in which the speech recognition unit is in an on state within a period from when the counter starts the measurement until a predetermined time is measured.   2. The voice recognition control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all of the period from when the counter starts measuring time until the predetermined time is measured is the on period.   The period from when the counter starts measuring time until it measures a certain time shorter than the predetermined time is an off period in which the voice recognition unit is in an off state, and the counter measures the certain time. The speech recognition control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a period from when the predetermined time is measured to the predetermined period is the ON period. Further comprising exit detection means for detecting that the user exits the room where the voice recognition unit is installed;
The period from when the counter starts measuring time until the exit detection means detects the user exit is an off period in which the voice recognition unit is in the off state, and the exit detection means detects the user exit. The speech recognition control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a period from when the counter measures the predetermined time is the ON period.   5. The speech recognition control device according to claim 1, further comprising teaching means for teaching the user that the speech recognition unit is in an on state or an off state using speech or light. .

Images