JP2010204965A - Communication support system - Google Patents

Abstract

A communication support system capable of supporting communication between families in a house.
When a single person is in a private room A in a house H, and there are a plurality of other members in the living room E, the estimating means 20 outputs the sensor Se or the output of the camera 9 in the living room E. Based on the above, it is estimated that an event that a plurality of householders gathered in the living room E occurred. At this time, the estimation unit 20 outputs a signal indicating the occurrence of an event in the living room E to the notification unit 21. The notification means 21 that has received the signal from the estimation means 20 estimates that there is a resident in the private room A from the output of the sensor Sa of the private room A, and controls the lighting fixture La of the private room A to change the lighting environment of the private room A. The event occurrence is notified to the private person in the private room A.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication support system that supports communication between families in a house.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for installing a plurality of sensors in a house and controlling household devices such as lighting fixtures according to the detection results of the sensors has been considered. As an example, there is a method for estimating a life scene such as whether a resident is sleeping in a house or a group using various sensors (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, it is proposed to realize an automatic air-conditioning operation that is comfortable for the occupants by controlling the air conditioner according to the estimation result of the life scene.

  By the way, in recent years, lack of communication between families has become a serious problem in houses. One of the causes of lack of communication in the house is that each individual in the family has their own private room, so each person spends more time in a separate room while at home, and the family meets each other. The time is short.

  Here, if the technique of the said patent document 1 is used, for example, while family members are gathering together in a family shared space such as a living room, the lighting and air conditioning of this shared space are controlled appropriately for the group. Since a comfortable space can be realized, the effect of promoting communication by extending the family staying time in the shared space can be expected.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-118612

  However, even if the shared space is made comfortable as described above, the comfort of the shared space is not transmitted to people in their private rooms, and the person is moved to the shared space to participate in the family group. I cannot expect the effect. In particular, when the house is structured so that the sound of the shared space is not easily transmitted to the private room, or when the person in the private room is watching music or watching TV and is difficult to notice external sounds, Even if you are united in a common space, the situation may not be communicated to people in the private room. As a result, even if there is a willingness to join the family, there is a possibility of missing the opportunity to join the group and causing a lack of communication.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above reasons, and an object thereof is to provide a communication support system capable of supporting communication between families in a house.

  The invention of claim 1 is based on detection means for detecting at least one of voice in a house, a facial expression of a family member, and the presence or absence of a person, and a plurality of estimations based on the presence or absence of a person in one space in the house. It consists of a collective event consisting of a situation where the family members are gathered, and a situation where a plurality of householders are talking based on at least one of the voice in one space in the house and the facial expressions of the family members in the space. An estimation means for estimating the occurrence of at least one of the conversational events, and the occurrence of the event for a householder outside the space where the event occurs in the house when the event is estimated to have occurred And a notification means for notifying the above.

  According to this configuration, the occurrence of an event consisting of at least one of a situation where a plurality of householders are gathering in a single space in a house and a situation where a plurality of householders are conversing is estimated. Since it is possible to notify a family member who has not participated in the event, it is possible to prompt the family member to participate in the event by attracting the family member to the space in which the event occurs. For example, if family members are grouped together in a shared space such as a living room at home, the person in their private room will be notified that they are grouped together in the shared space. Can give opportunities for participation. That is, it is possible to transmit a sign as if the walls between the separated rooms are removed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the situation in which only one person spends in his / her private room when an event such as a social gathering occurs in the house, and there is an advantage that communication between family members can be supported.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the estimating unit estimates the occurrence of the event by distinguishing the set type from the conversation type, and the notifying unit sets the occurrence of the event as a set type. It is characterized by notifying the conversation type.

  According to this configuration, since a state where only a plurality of people are gathered and a state where they are talking are distinguished and notified, the notification target householder grasps the situation of the event while being on the spot be able to. As a result, it is easier for a family member to be notified to participate in an event because it is possible to decide whether or not to participate in a situation where multiple people are conversing, even if they are on the spot. Communication between them is promoted.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the estimating means is configured such that, for the conversation type event, at least one of a voice in a space where the event occurs and a facial expression of a householder in the space. Then, the type of conversation is estimated, and the notification means notifies the occurrence of a conversational event together with the type of conversation.

  According to this configuration, the householder to be notified by the notification means can grasp the event status in more detail, and if the conversation type is mild, the willingness to participate in the event increases, and so on. Communication between the two is further promoted. Examples of conversation types include chatting, seriousness, and harshness.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, the estimation means determines, for the collective type event, the extent of the event from the number of people in the space where the event occurs. It is estimated that the notifying means notifies the occurrence of a collective event together with the degree of bustling.

  According to this configuration, the householder to be notified by the notification means can grasp the event status in more detail, and if the event is crowded, the willingness to participate in the event increases, and the family Communication between the two is further promoted.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, the estimating means includes the voice in the space in which the event is generated and the space in the space for the conversation type event. The degree of event buzzing is estimated from at least one of the facial expressions of the family members, and the notification means notifies the occurrence of a conversational event together with the degree of buzzing.

  According to this configuration, the householder to be notified by the notification means can grasp the event status in more detail, and if the event is crowded, the willingness to participate in the event increases, and the family Communication between the two is further promoted.

   According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the estimating means estimates a space where an event occurs in a house when the event occurs, and the notifying means The occurrence of an event is notified together with the space in which the event occurs.

  According to this configuration, the householder to be notified by the notification means is notified of in which space the event occurs in the house, so that the householder can easily participate in the event. Is further promoted.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention provides the information processing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a notification destination estimation unit that estimates a state of a household subject to be notified by the notification unit, wherein the notification unit is a notification destination estimation unit. The notification method is changed according to the estimation result.

  According to this configuration, the notification means changes the notification method according to the state of the householder to be notified. For example, when the householder is sleeping, it is uncomfortable to the householder by not performing flashy notification. It is possible to notify without giving a good impression. As a result, there is an advantage that the atmosphere of communication is improved without being forced to participate in the event.

  In the invention of claim 8, in the invention of claim 7, when it is estimated by the notification destination estimation means that the family member is not able to participate in the event, the fact is notified to the family member in the space where the event is occurring. And a reverse notification means.

  According to this configuration, it is possible for a householder participating in an event to know that the householder targeted for notification by the notification means cannot participate in the event. Therefore, for example, when family members are grouped together in a shared space such as a living room at home, even if people in their private rooms cannot participate in the event, they are alienated from those who are in their private rooms. There is an advantage that it is possible to prevent a feeling of sensation and is useful for the formation of medium- to long-term communication.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the notification means includes an acoustic control function for controlling an acoustic device in a space where a householder to be notified is located, and the event A notification sound is generated based on the sound generated in the space where the noise occurs, and the notification sound is output by using the sound of the space to the space where the notification target house is present, To do.

  According to this configuration, the householder who is the notification target of the notification means knows the occurrence of the event by the sound output from the audio device, so even if it is difficult to notice the change in the lighting environment during the daytime, the occurrence of the event Can be surely known. In addition, since the atmosphere of the event can be communicated to the notification target householder by the notification means by the notification sound, the householder's willingness to participate in the event is increased, and communication between families is further promoted.

  The invention of claim 10 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the notification means has a lighting control function for controlling a lighting fixture in a space where a householder to be notified exists. The notification is performed by changing the lighting environment of the space by the lighting control function so as to invite the family member to the event.

  According to this configuration, the householder to be notified by the notification means knows the occurrence of the event by changing the surrounding lighting environment, so it is not forced to participate in the event, and participates in the event on its own will Doing so has the advantage of improving the communication atmosphere. As for changes in the lighting environment that invites people to events, for example, the wall of the space where the householder to be notified is illuminated with warm-colored light, or the color and illuminance of the floor and walls are gradually adjusted toward the entrance / exit. It may be possible to change

  The present invention estimates the occurrence of an event consisting of at least one of a situation in which a plurality of householders are gathering in a single space in a house and a situation in which a plurality of householders are talking, and the occurrence of the event is converted into an event in the house. Since notification can be made to a family member who has not participated, there is an advantage that communication between family members can be supported in the house.

1 shows Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (a) is a schematic system configuration diagram, and (b) is a schematic block diagram of an integrated management apparatus. 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a home network system as a base of the above. FIG. It is a situation explanatory view for showing an example of operation same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the notification method same as the above. It is a schematic block diagram of the integrated management apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

  In the following embodiments, a communication support system configured based on a home network system capable of monitoring and controlling a plurality of devices through a home communication network (hereinafter referred to as home network) will be exemplified. In the following, first, the home network system will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  The integrated management device 1 provided in the house H is a main device that constructs a home network LN such as a LAN, and communicates with subsystems constructed by devices in the home network LN. Examples of the subsystem include an intercom system 2 composed of devices that handle visitors, a security system 3 that monitors intruders using sensors and the like, and a facility system 4 composed of lighting equipment, air conditioning facilities, and the like. Each subsystem constitutes a self-supporting distributed system, and can operate even with the subsystem alone.

  In this home network system, the controller 5 is connected to the home network LN, and the operation state (detection result if a sensor or the like) of each device constituting the subsystem is displayed on the controller 5 or the operation of the controller 5 is performed. It is comprised so that each apparatus can be controlled according to.

  The integrated management apparatus 1 has a connection port that is connected not only to the home network LN but also to a wide area network NE that constructs the Internet. When the integrated management apparatus 1 is connected to the wide area network NE, it is possible to receive services from the center server 6 connected to the wide area network NE. The service provided by the center server 6 includes a service that enables monitoring and control of devices connected to the home network LN through the wide area network NE. With this service, it is possible to monitor and control devices connected to the home network LN from outside the home using the communication terminal 7 having a browser function such as a personal computer or a mobile phone.

  The integrated management apparatus 1 has both functions of communication with the center server 6 connected to the wide area network NE and communication with devices connected to the home network LN, and communication with the center server 6. By using the function, it is possible to monitor and control home devices through the center server 6 from the communication terminal 7 connected to the wide area network NE. The center server 6 mediates between home devices and communication terminals on the wide area network NE.

  When monitoring or controlling home devices from the communication terminal 7, the monitoring server stores the monitoring or control request in the center server 6 so that the home device periodically performs one-way polling communication. Receive monitoring and control requests. With this operation, it is possible to monitor and control devices in the house H from the communication terminal 7. Further, when an event that should be notified to the communication terminal 7 such as a notification due to the detection of an intruder in the home device occurs, the home server notifies the center server 6 and the center server 6 notifies the communication terminal 7. Notify by email.

  In addition, although the following description demonstrates the house of a detached house as the house H which applies a communication assistance system, it does not prevent applying the same technical idea to an apartment house.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1A, the communication support system according to the present embodiment is applied to a house H having a living room E that is a shared space for a family in addition to a private room A, a private room B, a private room C, and a washroom D. It is. In FIG. 1A, the integrated management apparatus 1 provided in the washroom D, the controller 5 provided in the living room E, and the individual rooms A to C and the washroom D among the devices constituting each subsystem are provided. Only the lighting fixtures La to Ld and the sensors Sa to Sd, the lighting fixture Le, the sensor Se, the camera 8, and the television 9 provided in the living room E are illustrated, and illustration of other devices is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the integrated management apparatus 1 includes an arithmetic processing unit 10 having a CPU as a main component, a storage unit 11 for storing programs and various data, and a center server connected to a wide area network NE. 6 and an in-home communication unit 13 that performs communication between devices connected to the home network LN.

  Here, the sensors Sa to Se (hereinafter collectively referred to as the sensor S when not particularly distinguished from each other) at least one of the voice in the house H, the expression of the family member, and the presence or absence of the person (including the number of persons). Functions as a detection means for detecting, such as a microphone for detecting voice and sound, a human sensor for detecting presence or absence of a person, a floor pressure sensor for detecting pressure applied to the floor, and an indoor environment such as airflow, temperature and illuminance It includes an environmental sensor that detects An entrance / exit management device that is installed at the entrance of a room and manages a person's entrance / exit status may be used as the sensor S so that the number of people in the room can be detected from the monitoring result of the entrance / exit management device. In addition, a means for detecting the operating state of the electric equipment (for example, whether or not the television 9 is on) may be used as the sensor S. The detection results of these sensors S are all sent to the integrated management apparatus 1 via the home network LN.

  In addition, the camera 8 provided in the living room E captures a moving image within a predetermined range, and when there are people in the living room E, the number of people in the living room E from the image captured by the camera 8. Can be determined. That is, similarly to the sensor S, the camera 8 has a function as detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a person in the house H. Furthermore, it is also possible to determine the facial expression (for example, emotions) of a person in the living room E from the video imaged by the camera 8. The video imaged by the camera 8 is also sent to the integrated management apparatus 1 in the same manner as the detection result of the sensor S.

  Lighting fixtures La to Le (hereinafter collectively referred to as lighting fixtures L when not distinguished from each other) are not only those attached to the ceiling, but also those attached to walls or floors, and functional wall lighting in which the walls themselves shine In addition, it also includes parts that partially illuminate door knobs and objects. The lighting fixture L can be controlled at least to be turned on / off by a control signal from the integrated management apparatus 1, and includes a lighting control capable of controlling light control and color tone.

  The display contents of the controller 5 and the television 9 provided in the living room E can be controlled by the integrated management apparatus 1 and can display the detection result of the sensor S described above, for example.

  By the way, in the communication support system of the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the integrated management apparatus 1 uses the detection result of the detection means (sensor S and camera 9) to estimate the occurrence of an event such as family reunification. 20 and a notification means 21 for notifying the occurrence of an event to a family member who does not participate in the event when the event occurs.

  The estimation unit 20 generates an event including at least one of a situation in which a plurality of householders are gathering and a situation in which a plurality of householders are talking about a space shared by a family in the house H (in this case, living room E). Is estimated. That is, for example, when it is estimated that there are a plurality of people in the living room E from the output of the human E sensor, floor pressure sensor, entrance / exit management device, or the like of the living room E, or the camera 8 or the like, When it is estimated from the speaker recognition result that there are a plurality of speakers, the estimating means 20 estimates that some event has occurred in the living room E.

  When the estimating unit 20 estimates that an event has occurred in the living room E, the notifying unit 21 provides an event to a householder in a place other than the place where the event occurs in the house H (living room E). Notify the occurrence of Specifically, when an event occurs, the notification unit 21 first identifies a place where a householder to be notified is present from the detection result of each sensor S in the house H. For example, when it is estimated from the detection result of the sensor S that there is a single householder in a room other than the living room E, it is determined that there is a householder to be notified in that room. And the notification means 21 controls the lighting fixture L of the room where the householder of notification object exists, and notifies by changing the lighting environment of this room.

  However, it is not essential for the notification means 21 to specify the location of a householder who has not participated in the event from the detection result of the sensor S, and the lighting device L in a preset room may be controlled. Alternatively, all rooms (the private rooms A to C and the washroom D) other than the family shared space (living room E) may be notified.

  Next, the operation of the communication support system of this embodiment will be described.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that when the house U 1 is alone in the private room A in the house H, the other three house members U 2 to U 4 are in the living room E. However, since the living room E and the private room A are separated from each other, the householder U1 of the private room A is not even aware that the living houses E2 to U4 are gathered.

  In this case, the estimation means 20 of the integrated management apparatus 1 estimates that an event that a plurality of householders U2 to U4 are gathered in the living room E is generated based on the output of the sensor Se or the camera 9 of the living room E. Then, the estimation means 20 outputs a signal indicating the occurrence of an event in the living room E to the notification means 21.

  Upon receiving the signal from the estimating means 20, the notifying means 21 estimates that there is a resident U1 in the private room A from the output of the sensor Sa of the private room A, and controls the lighting fixture La of the private room A to control the lighting environment of the private room A. The occurrence of the event is notified to the householder U1 by changing the value.

  Here, the change in the lighting environment is not an abrupt change such as the lighting fixture La being turned off, but the brightness and color tone of the illumination light is changed so that the householder U1 to be notified can naturally recognize the occurrence of the event. It is desirable to make it to an extent. Furthermore, it is more preferable to turn on the luminaire La in a predetermined pattern aiming at the effect of attracting the householder U1 to be notified to the event.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the lighting fixture La is turned on (so-called gradation lighting) so that the illuminance on the floor surface, wall surface, and ceiling surface of the private room A increases stepwise toward the entrance / exit Ad. Shall be allowed to. In the example of FIG. 4, the housekeeper U1 naturally looks toward the entrance Ad of the private room A. Therefore, an effect of inviting the housekeeper U1 out of the private room A and inviting to the event can be expected. In addition to this, it may be possible to change the mood of the home U1 by illuminating the wall of the private room A with warm-colored light, and to aim at the effect of attracting to the event.

  As described above, when a plurality of householders U2 to U4 gather together in the living room E, it is notified to the householder U1 in the private room A away from the living room E that some event has occurred in the living room E. Will be. The householder U1 who has received the notification knows that an event has occurred in the living room E, and then can move to the living room E and participate in the event (a group of householders U2 to U4). That is, the housekeeper U1 was living alone in the private room A without realizing that the housekeepers U2 to U4 were united in the living room E. You will be given the opportunity to join the group. As a result, it is possible to reduce the situation where the householder U1 spends alone while the householders U2 to U4 gather together in the living room E. Can be connected.

  Here, the method of notifying the occurrence of an event such as a family unit by the notifying means 21 is not limited to the change in the lighting environment described above. For example, the event may be sent to a TV or the like in a place where a notification subject is located (here, private room A). It is also possible to display a message indicating the occurrence.

  Moreover, when the integrated management apparatus 1 has an acoustic control function for controlling an acoustic device (such as a speaker) in a place where a household subject to notification is present, the occurrence of an event may be notified using the acoustic device. In this case, the notification means 21 may generate a notification sound based on the sound acquired at the event occurrence place (here, the living room E), and output the notification sound to convey the atmosphere of the event. desirable. Specifically, the sound acquired by the microphone in Living E is converted so that the conversation content cannot be recognized, and the converted sound is output as a notification sound, or depending on the loudness acquired in Living E It is possible to change the volume of the notification sound. As a result, the householder can reliably know the occurrence of the event even when it is difficult to notice the change in the lighting environment during the daytime. Furthermore, since the atmosphere of the event is conveyed by the notification sound, an effect of increasing the willingness to participate in the event can be expected.

  By the way, the estimation result by the estimation means 20 is stored in the storage unit 11 in time series as a communication history, and the communication history is displayed on the controller 5 or the television 9 of the living room E as a graph or the like. May be added to the integrated management apparatus 1. As a result, the family members can confirm changes in the density of past communication, and as a result, maintain the state if there is sufficient communication, and increase communication opportunities if communication is insufficient. Appropriate measures can be taken.

  Further, in this embodiment, the monitoring target of the event occurrence such as family uniting by the estimating means 20 is limited to the living room E which is a family shared space, but not limited to this example, all the rooms in the house H are the event. The occurrence may be monitored. In other words, for example, if a plurality of people gather together in the private room A and there is one other person living in the living room E, the occurrence of an event in the private room A is notified to the living person in the living room E. , Living E's housekeeper can participate in the event.

  Thus, when the place where the event occurs in the house H is not determined, the event occurrence place in the house H is estimated by the estimating means 20 when the event occurs, and notified by the notifying means 21. It is desirable to include information indicating the event occurrence location in the content. Furthermore, in this case, it is more preferable that the notification means 21 is configured to present a guide route from the room where the householder to be notified is present to the event occurrence location. As a method of presenting the guidance route, it is conceivable to brightly illuminate the corridor or stairs that become the guidance route by controlling the lighting equipment installed in the corridor or stairs.

(Embodiment 2)
The communication support system according to the present embodiment is different from the communication support system according to the first embodiment in that not only the occurrence of an event such as family affiliation but also the contents (type, degree, etc.) of the event are estimated and notified. To do.

  In the present embodiment, when the estimation means 20 estimates that an event has occurred, a state in which a plurality of householders are simply gathered (hereinafter referred to as a collective type) and a plurality of householders are having a conversation. The occurrence of an event is estimated by distinguishing two types of states (hereinafter referred to as conversational types).

  More specifically, when it is estimated that there are a plurality of people in the living room E from the output of the sensor Se or the camera 8 in the living room E, and the conversation voice is not detected from the output of the microphone of the living room E, the estimating means 20 Presumes that a collective event has occurred. On the other hand, when a voice in which a plurality of people talk is detected from the output of the microphone of the living room E, the estimating means 20 estimates that a conversational event has occurred. In addition, in order to prevent the voice of the television 9 from being erroneously detected as the conversation of the housekeeper, for example, the voice of the housekeeper is registered in advance, and only when it is determined that the conversation is between the housekeepers as a result of the voice authentication, It can be considered as an interactive event. The estimating means 20 can also estimate the occurrence of a conversational event based on the facial expression of a householder determined from the video of the camera 8.

  Further, for the collective type event, the estimation unit 20 estimates the degree of event crowding based on the number of householders in the event occurrence place (here, living room E). Here, the number of persons in the living room E can be obtained by using the sensor Se of the living room E or the output of the camera 8. And it is estimated that the greater the number of people, the higher the level of event buzzing (that is, the more lively). Here, as an example, “busy level 1” is set for two people, and “busy level 2” is set for three people.

  In addition, for the conversation type event, the estimation means 20 is based on at least one of the voice of the conversation acquired with the microphone at the event occurrence location (living room E) and the facial expression of the householder determined from the video of the camera 8. Estimate the degree of bustle of the event. Here, it is estimated that the greater the volume of conversation, the higher the level of event buzzing (that is, the more busy). Here, as an example, “busy level 1” is set when the conversation volume is 50 to 60 dB, and “busy level 2” is set when 60 to 70 dB.

  Furthermore, in the case of a conversational event, the estimation means 20 is based on at least one of the voice of the conversation acquired by the microphone at the event occurrence location (living room E) and the facial expression of the householder determined from the video of the camera 8. Estimate the type of conversation. Here, as an example, it is assumed that three kinds of conversations of “conversation”, “normal”, and “severe” are identified.

  When estimating based on speech, a database of acoustic models that model speech features representing each emotion (such as emotions) of a speaker is created as a database, and the speech acquired by the microphone is collated with the database. Estimate the type. When estimating based on the facial expression of a family member, the facial expression model is modeled based on the facial expression features representing each emotion of the speaker, and the facial expression extracted from the video of the camera 8 is collated with the database. Estimate the type of The database may be a general database that has been set in advance. However, a database created individually for each household using the communication support system or a learning function that is automatically updated to suit the household is used. You may have it.

  When notifying the occurrence of an event to a notification subject householder, the notification means 21 also notifies the contents of the event. In the present embodiment, the event content includes a type of event (separate type and conversation type), a level of liveliness (liveness level), and a conversation type (conversation, normal, harsh). ). The notification of the contents of these events may be performed by displaying a message on a television or the like, but in this embodiment, it is performed by changing the lighting environment of the room where the notification target house is located.

  As a specific example, the degree of the bustle of the event is notified by reflecting the intensity of changes in the lighting environment. That is, the higher the bustling level, the more noticeable the change in the lighting environment (for example, the change in brightness), and the stronger the awareness that the event is occurring for the householder to be notified. Also, the type of conversation is notified by changing the control pattern of the luminaire L. For example, if the conversation type is “conversation”, the illumination light is a warm color system, if it is “bad”, the illumination light is a cold color system, and if it is “normal”, it is between the warm color system and the cold color system. Thus, in the case of “speaking laughter”, the family member is invited to the event, whereas in the case of “severe”, it is possible to stop only the notification of the occurrence of the event. In addition, changing the lighting fixture L to light according to the kind of conversation is also considered.

  According to the configuration described above, a family member who does not participate in an event such as a family gathering can know in detail the status of the event while staying there. You can decide whether to participate if it is a type, so it is easier to participate in the event. Furthermore, since this family member can know the situation of the event in more detail from the degree of bustling and the type of conversation, there is an advantage that the willingness to participate in the event increases when the bustling level is high.

  It is also conceivable that the conversation type is classified for each topic (for example, school, work, hobby, etc.), and when a conversation type event occurs, the conversation type is estimated based on the conversation content (topic). That is, if a plurality of keywords are associated with each topic and created in a database, the type of conversation can be estimated by collating the speech recognition results acquired by the microphone with the database. For example, if the keywords “Class” and “Teacher” are associated with the topic “School”, the speech recognition results obtained with the microphone include the keywords “Class” and “Teacher”. Then, the estimation means 20 estimates the type of conversation as “school”. By determining the type of conversation content in this way, it is possible to expect an effect of increasing the willingness to participate in an event when the subject of interest is a topic of interest.

  By the way, the contents of the event estimated by the estimating means 20 are stored in the storage unit 11 as a communication history. Therefore, if the communication history can be displayed on the controller 5 or the television 9 of the living room E as a graph or the like, the householder can easily confirm not only the past communication occurrence status but also the contents thereof.

  Furthermore, it is also conceivable to transmit the communication history via the wide area network NE to the communication terminal 7 outside the home, a television set in another house, a controller of the home network system, or the like. Thereby, for example, even a householder who lives alone and lives in a remote place can check the communication status of other householders in the house H. In addition, when an event occurs, if the lighting environment in the remote location is changed to notify the occurrence of the event and the contents of the event to the remote location residents, the other homes in the home H can be informed Can convey a sign. In this case, the lighting control (gradation lighting, etc.) to be invited to the event is not performed, but only the communication status is notified.

  Other configurations and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
The communication support system according to the present embodiment is different from the communication support system according to the first embodiment in that a notification destination estimation unit 22 that estimates the status of a householder to be notified by the notification unit 21 is provided as shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the integrated management apparatus 1 has a function as the notification destination estimation unit 22. Here, for example, in the situation of FIG. 3 in which the other three householders U2 to U4 are united in the living room E when the householder U1 is alone in the private room A in the house H, the notification destination estimating means 22 is The state of the householder U1 is estimated from the output of the sensor Sa in the private room A.

  As an example, it is possible to estimate from the sound acquired by the microphone in the private room A, the state in which the home U1 is watching TV, the state of making a phone call, and the like. If you are making a phone call, estimate the emotions of the family member U1 (angry, in an excited state, etc.) by collating the voice acquired at that time with the database described in the second embodiment. Can do. In addition, for example, it is possible to acquire the biological information of the householder U1 using a biological sensor provided at an appropriate location in the private room A (for example, an armrest of a chair) and estimate the physical condition (such as fatigue) of the householder U1.

  Still further, a camera 8 may be installed in each of the private rooms A to C, and the state of the householder U1 to be notified may be confirmed from the video captured by the camera 8. In this case, by extracting the facial expression of the householder U1 from the video of the camera 8 and collating it with a database as described in the second embodiment, the activity state of the householder U1 (sleeping, serious, busy, angry, etc.) Can be estimated.

  The state of the householder U1 estimated in this way is reflected in the notification of the event occurrence to the householder U1 by the notification means 21. Here, when “sleeping”, “serious”, and “busy” are estimated as the status of the householder U1, the event notification is not sent to the householder U1, while the status of the householder U1 is “angry” If it is estimated that the user is “existing”, “excited”, or “exhausted”, the event occurrence notification to the householder U1 is made sparingly, and if it is in any other state, the event occurrence is notified in the normal manner. It is assumed that the notification method is switched in three stages. In addition, when the householder U1 is “in an excited state”, it may be possible to add a sedative effect by setting the illumination light in a blue tone.

  Further, the status of the householder U1 is notified to the householders U2 to U4 of the living room E by the reverse notification means 23 provided in the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the integrated management apparatus 1. The reverse notification means 23 notifies the state of the householder U1 by displaying it on the controller 5 in the living room E or the television 8, or by turning on some lighting fixtures in the living room E. At this time, considering the privacy of the householder U1, it is desirable to roughly notify the state of the householder U1. For example, the video of the private room A captured by the camera 8 is not displayed as it is.

  According to the configuration described above, the householder U1 who has not participated in the event is notified by the notification means 21 in accordance with his / her state. There is no such thing as an unpleasant impression. Therefore, it is possible to give an opportunity to participate in the event without deteriorating the relationship between the families. Moreover, if it is in the state which cannot participate because the family member U1 is sleeping etc., it can be known by the reverse notification means 23 in the family members U2-U4 participating in the event. As a result, it is possible to prevent the resident U2 to U4 of the living room E from feeling alienated to the resident U1 because the resident U1 of the private room A does not participate in the event. Can contribute.

  Other configurations and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Integrated management apparatus 9 Camera 20 Estimation means 21 Notification means 22 Notification destination estimation means 23 Reverse notification means A-C Private room E Living H House La-Le Lighting fixture Sa-Se sensor

Claims (10)

  From a situation in which a plurality of householders are gathered, which are estimated based on the presence or absence of a person in one space in the house, detection means for detecting at least one of voice in the house, the facial expression of the housekeeper, and the presence or absence of a person And at least a conversation type event consisting of a situation in which a plurality of householders are conversing estimated based on at least one of voice in one space in a house and facial expressions of the householders in the space An estimating means for estimating one occurrence, and a notifying means for notifying the occurrence of the event to a householder outside the space where the event occurs in the house when it is estimated that the event has occurred A communication support system characterized by comprising.   The estimation means estimates the occurrence of the event by distinguishing between the collective type and the conversation type, and the notification means notifies the occurrence of the event by distinguishing between the collective type and the conversation type. Item 4. The communication support system according to item 1.   3. The communication support according to claim 2, wherein the estimation means estimates a conversation type for the conversation type event, and the notification means notifies the occurrence of the conversation type event together with the conversation type. system.   The estimation means estimates the degree of event buzz for the collective event from the number of people in the space where the event occurs, and the notification means indicates the degree of buzz of the occurrence of the collective event. The communication support system according to claim 2, wherein the communication support system is notified together.   For the conversation type event, the estimation means estimates a degree of event buzzing from at least one of a voice in a space where the event occurs and a facial expression of a housekeeper in the space, and the notification means The communication support system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the occurrence of a conversational event is notified together with the degree of bustling.   The estimation means estimates a space where an event occurs in a house when the event occurs, and the notification means notifies the occurrence of the event together with the space where the event occurs. The communication support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   2. A notification destination estimation unit that estimates a state of a household subject to be notified by the notification unit, wherein the notification unit changes a notification method according to an estimation result in the notification destination estimation unit. 7. The communication support system according to any one of items 6.   8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a reverse notification means for notifying a householder in a space where an event has occurred, when the notification destination estimation means estimates that a householder is incapable of participating in the event. The communication support system described.   The notification means has an acoustic control function for controlling an acoustic device in a space where a notification target household is present, generates a notification sound based on a sound generated in the space where the event occurs, and The communication support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the notification is performed by outputting a sound to a space where a householder to be notified is present by using sound of the space. The notification means includes a lighting control function for controlling a lighting fixture in a space where a notification target house is present, and the lighting control function is used to control the lighting environment of the space so as to attract the notification target house person to the event. The communication support system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein notification is performed by changing.

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