JP2022116869A - Communication support device and communication support system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a communication support device and communication support system capable of obtaining a communication support effect of an auditory information processing disabled person.SOLUTION: A support device 700 comprises: a microphone unit 710 including a plurality of directional microphones 711, 712, 713, 714 which are nearly linearly aligned in a longitudinal direction of a right side surface member 702 of spectacles and have mutually different sound collection ranges; a control device 730; and a speaker 750. The control device 730 includes an adjustment section for adjusting sound signals collected by the directional microphones 711, 712, 713, 714, so as to allow sound to be input from the sound collection range of the one directional microphone to be largely output from the speaker 750 compared with the sound to be input from the outside of the sound collection range among the directional microphones 711, 712, 713, 714.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 25

Description

The present invention relates to a communication support device and a communication support system.

Not a few people have symptoms of communication disorders, such as auditory information processing disorders.
Auditory Processing Disorder (hereinafter referred to as APD) is a disorder that makes it difficult to hear in everyday life, although no abnormalities are observed in ordinary auditory tests. Hereinafter, a person with symptoms of auditory information processing disorder is referred to as an auditory information processing disorder person or an APD carrier.

The following are known hearing symptoms of APD.
(a) The first words of the speaker cannot be heard, and there are many repetitions and mishearings.
(b) It is difficult to hear in a bad listening environment such as noise.
(c) Forgets or has difficulty understanding what is said.
(d) It is difficult to listen carefully to long stories.
(e) Difficulty hearing and understanding auditory information compared to visual information.
These symptoms are associated with diminished auditory functions such as auditory discrimination, hearing in noise, auditory marking, hearing of degraded speech, auditory attention, and visual dominance.

Among hearing impairments, there is presbycusis. Presbycusis is a hearing impairment caused by aging, and sensorineural hearing loss is common. People with presbycusis have difficulty hearing high frequencies (2000-8000Hz). As a result, they often cannot hear high-pitched words clearly. FIG. 15 is a graph showing general trends in hearing with aging. Looking at this graph, it can be seen that in the 60's, 70's and 80's, there is a clear decline in hearing in the range of 1000 to 4000 Hz.

Moreover, the relationship between hearing ability and cognitive function is considered to be as follows. That is, (G1) when it becomes difficult to hear, (G2) it becomes embarrassing to ask again, and it becomes troublesome. Next, (G3) communication becomes difficult, danger perception becomes difficult, and the amount of information decreases. In the next stage, (G4) psychological effects such as isolation, anxiety, worry, and lack of motivation appear. In the next stage, (G5) social connections are reduced, eventually affecting cognitive function.

In view of the above situation, the following measures are desired as devices or countermeasures that can be taken by people around persons with auditory information processing disabilities.
1. Speak in a quiet environment. Talk one-on-one in a quiet room.
2. Turn off TV, music, etc. to reduce ambient noise.
3. Repeat what you don't understand.
4. Don't just explain with words, but give memos etc. for the main points.
5. Choose as little listening work or work in noise as possible.
6. Proper nouns such as names and company names and numbers are easy to make mistakes, so check them carefully.

Many of the elderly hearing impaired suffer from presbycusis due to the aging process. Most presbycusis deafness is deafness caused by disorders of the inner ear or the nervous system after the inner ear, and is called sensorineural deafness. Presbycusis is caused by the deformation, weakening, or disappearance of the hair cells in the inner ear, which are responsible for converting sound signals into signals that are transmitted to the brain, along with aging. It arises from damage to the brain, which makes it difficult for sound signals to propagate to the brain.

Sensorineural hearing loss is characterized by a decline in the ability to distinguish speech as words, rather than simply being unable to hear speech in terms of volume.

The reduced ability of sensorineural hearing loss includes reduced frequency selectivity and reduced temporal resolution.

Due to the reduced frequency selectivity, people with sensorineural hearing loss are more affected by masking between frequency band components, especially the masking of high frequency components by low frequency components. becomes difficult to hear.
A person with sensorineural hearing loss has difficulty following fast changes in sound due to the reduction in temporal resolution. Therefore, when a plurality of sounds are given continuously, it is likely to be affected by successive masking, in which one sound is masked by the other sound. That is, it is difficult to perceive sounds that change quickly over time and to distinguish sounds that are close in time.

There are two types of temporal masking: forward masking and retrograde masking. In proactive masking, the preceding sound masks the following sound. When a person reacts to a certain sound, even if the sound disappears, the reaction does not immediately stop, making it difficult to hear the subsequent sound generated during that time. In retrograde masking, the following sound masks the preceding sound, and the stronger the sound, the faster the neural reaction. become difficult.

In addition, sensorineural hearing loss makes it difficult for people with sensorineural hearing loss to follow rapid changes in sound due to reduced temporal resolution. many. It is thought that this is because the consonant disappears before the hair cells of the sensorineural hearing impaired respond to the consonant that changes rapidly with time and has a short duration.

Furthermore, in normal times, vowels are characterized by high energy, little time change, and long duration, while consonant sounds are characterized by low energy, rapid time change, and short duration. be. This is also the reason why people with sensorineural hearing loss are likely to experience temporal masking by vowels before and after consonants, and often find it difficult to hear consonants.

A known hearing aid has been proposed that enables a hearing-impaired person to hear by using a sound collection frequency adjusted according to the characteristics of the hearing-impaired person.
However, simply adjusting the sound collection frequency of the hearing aid according to the characteristics of each hearing-impaired person does not solve the problem of temporal masking. In addition, simply adjusting the sound collection frequency does not sufficiently improve the ability to clearly hear high-pitched words regardless of the age group of the elderly.

JP 2014-59544 A

Even if the above devices and countermeasures are taken, there is a limit to the reduction of auditory symptoms of APD in persons with auditory information processing disabilities.

This is because conventional hearing aids and sound collectors collect sounds from 360 degrees around them to make them easier to hear. This is because it does not make it easier to hear the person's voice alone, and it is not effective for assisting the conversation of the person with APD. Hearing aids equipped with a noise killer function have also come into use, but among the auditory symptoms (a) to (e) of the above APD, (a) the first words of the speaker cannot be heard, and repeats and mishearings occur. (c) Forgetting or having difficulty understanding verbal information; (d) Difficulty following long speeches; (e) Auditory information compared to visual information. The difficulty in hearing and understanding of the above poses a problem that sufficient communication support cannot be expected with conventional support devices for people with APD, such as hearing aids and sound collectors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication support device and a communication support system that are effective in supporting communication for persons with auditory information processing disabilities.

The communication support effect is the effect of improving listening ability, and this includes (a) making it easier to hear only the voice of the speaker in front, excluding environmental sounds, and (b) summarizing the other party's conversation. can be recognized by text and/or voice, improving listening ability (conversation ability); , and (e) the possibility of post-confirmation of conversations.

One aspect of the present invention is a front member sandwiched between a first straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the left side member of the pair of spectacles, a second straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the right side member of the pair of spectacles, and the left and right side members. Along a part of a series of lines extending in the longitudinal direction and connected to one end of the first straight line and one end of the second straight line, the sound collecting A plurality of directional microphones having different ranges, and a sound input from a sound pickup range of one of the plurality of directional microphones is louder from a speaker than a sound input from outside the sound pickup range. an adjustment unit that adjusts a sound signal representing sound picked up by the plurality of directional microphones so as to be output;
It is a communication support device with

According to one aspect of the present invention, in the above-described communication support device, the plurality of directional microphones are arranged continuously and substantially linearly along a portion of the series of lines.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the above communication support device, three or more of the plurality of directional microphones are provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in the above-described communication support device, the adjustment unit receives a sound signal representing a sound picked up by one directional microphone and picks up the sound by a directional microphone other than the one directional microphone. The sound signal representing the sound picked up by the plurality of directional microphones is adjusted by applying the sound signal representing the sound picked up by the plurality of directional microphones as a cancellation signal.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the communication support device includes an output unit configured to output image data representing an image corresponding to the sound signal adjusted by the adjustment unit to a terminal capable of displaying the image.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the communication support device includes another output unit that outputs authentication information to a terminal that authenticates a wearer of the communication support device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in the above communication support device, the directional microphone is ECM or MEMS.

One aspect of the present invention is a communication support system including a communication support device and a terminal capable of displaying an image, wherein the communication support device includes a first straight line extending in a longitudinal direction of a left side member of eyeglasses, A second straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the right side member of the spectacles, and a second straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the front member sandwiched between the left and right side members and connected to one end of the first straight line and one end of the second straight line. a plurality of directional microphones arranged substantially linearly along a part of a series of lines extending from the three straight lines and having different sound pickup ranges; Sound signals representing sounds picked up by the plurality of directional microphones are adjusted so that sounds input from within the sound pickup range of the microphones are output from the speaker louder than sounds input from outside the sound pickup range. and an output unit configured to output the sound signal adjusted by the adjustment unit to a terminal capable of displaying an image corresponding to the sound signal, wherein the terminal outputs the sound output by the output unit A communication support system comprising a display unit that displays an image according to a signal.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the above communication support system, the communication support device includes another output unit that outputs authentication information to the terminal, and the terminal outputs the authentication information output by the other output unit. is used to authenticate the wearer of the communication support device.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the communication support apparatus and communication support system which can obtain the communication support effect of a person with auditory information processing disorder can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of spectacles provided with a support device according to an embodiment of the first invention. FIG. It is a side view of spectacles with a built-in speaker, (a) is a left side view, (b) is a right side view. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of spectacles, which is one of the basic configurations of the first invention. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the small speaker of FIG.2 and FIG.3, (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view. It is a figure which shows the other example of the small speaker of FIG.2 and FIG.3, (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view. It is a side view of external speaker type spectacles, (a) is a left side view, (b) is a right side view. 1 is a perspective view showing a non-contact spectacles charging system; FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the basic configuration of the second invention; FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration provided in the spectacles of FIG. 8; 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration provided in the smartphone of FIG. 8; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the second invention; It is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the third invention. It is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the third invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the third invention; 1 is a graph showing general trends in hearing with aging. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first embodiment of the fourth invention; FIG. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a second embodiment of the fourth invention; FIG. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a third embodiment of the fourth invention; FIG. 19 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the signal processing unit of the support device of FIG. 18; FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a fourth embodiment of the fourth invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a fifth embodiment of the fourth invention; It is a figure which shows an example of the expansion rate table of a time expansion / compression adjustment means. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a sixth embodiment of the fourth invention; It is a figure for demonstrating a 1st straight line, a 2nd straight line, and a 3rd straight line. It is the figure which looked at the right side member of the assistance apparatus from the right side. It is the figure which looked at the left side member of the assistance apparatus from the left side. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sound pickup range of a directional microphone; It is a figure which shows the structure of the control apparatus of a support apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of a smart phone. 4 is a graph showing sound frequency and sound pressure level when a conditioned signal is output from a speaker; 5 is a graph showing the frequency and sound pressure level of sound output from a speaker when there is one microphone; Fig. 3 shows different directions of sound; 4 is a graph showing sound frequency and sound pressure level when a conditioned signal is output from a speaker; 4 is a graph showing sound frequency and sound pressure level when a conditioned signal is output from a speaker; It is a figure which shows the example which provided the microphone unit in the left side member. It is a figure which shows the example which provided one directional microphone 921 in the front member, and two directional microphones 922 in the left side member.

Next, an embodiment of a communication support device (hereinafter simply referred to as support device) according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Invention]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the support device A1 according to the first invention comprises spectacles 10 provided with components of the support device other than the spectacles. Components of the support device other than the spectacles 10 will be described below.

A plurality of front microphones fm1 . fm2 are laterally spaced apart. Moreover, the left and right side members of the spectacles 10, such as the temples 12a . 12b is equipped with side microphones sm1 and sm2. These microphones fm1. fm2; sm1, sm2 are preferably highly directional microphones, such as mems microphones. The spectacles 10 preferably include temples 12a . A control board 13 made up of an IC chip is attached to either one of 12b, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is mounted on the control board 13 .

The CPU controls each microphone fm1. fm2; sound source direction determination means 14a for determining the sound source direction based on the audio signals input from sm1 and sm2; and each of the microphones fm1. fm2: facing the sound source direction determined by the sound source direction determination means 14a based on the control from the control means 14d described later, and the sound amplification means 14b for amplifying the sound signals input from sm1 and sm under the control from the control means 14d described later. It comprises a noise elimination means 14c for erasing or attenuating an audio signal input from a microphone other than the microphone that is used, a control means 14d for controlling the means 14a, 14b and 14c, and a sound modulation section 14e.

The temples 12a and 12b of the spectacles 10 are provided with a touch sensor type volume 15a, a battery 15b, a power switch 15c for turning ON/OFF the battery 15b, and a directional touch sensor 15d. It is connected to the.

The sound source direction determination means 14a uses a well-known technology, and each microphone fm1. fm2; The sound source direction is determined based on the time difference between the sounds arriving at sm1 and sm2, and the determination signal is given to the control means 14d.

In accordance with the determination signal input from the sound source direction determination unit 14a, the control unit 14d causes the sound amplification unit 14b to amplify the sound signal input from the microphone in the determined sound source direction to a predetermined volume.
The sound modulating unit 15e is a digital signal processor (DSP), and automatically adjusts the audibility to be optimal according to the operation amount of the touch sensor type volume 15a.
Further, the control means 14d eliminates or attenuates the audio signal input from the microphone other than the microphone facing the direction of the sound source by the noise elimination means 14e according to the determination signal input from the sound source direction determination means 14a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the left and right temples 12a and 12b of the spectacles 10 are provided with small speakers sp1 and sp1 at positions near the ear holes of the wearer of the spectacles 10, to which audio signals amplified by the audio amplification means 14b are applied. sp2 is provided.

By the action of the noise canceling means 14e, environmental sounds other than the direction of the sound source are prevented from entering the ear canal from the speaker, but the sound directly approaching the ear from the external world becomes noise ( external noise).

4 and 5 show novel small speakers SP1 and SP2 that minimize the influence of external noise. This small speaker is a small speaker with an acoustic tube (pipe), and the small speaker SP1 illustrated in FIG. An array speaker is constructed by arranging one acoustic tube (pipe) p in each of msp4 to msp4 so that the tip of the pipe extends from the temple of the spectacles in parallel in the direction of the ear canal.
The small speaker SP2 illustrated in FIG. 5 has four small rectangular speakers msp1 to msp4 each provided with one sound tube (pipe) p so that the tip of the sound tube p opens from the temple of the glasses in the direction of the ear canal. An array speaker is composed of

In such small speakers sp1 and sp2 with acoustic tubes (pipes), since the acoustic tubes (pipes) p connected to the small speakers msp1 to msp4 extend to the ears, the influence of external noise can be minimized. You can hear the sound coming out of the speaker very clearly.

When the wearer of the spectacles 10 is a person with a slight hearing impairment, the speakers sp1 and sp2 are connected to the temples 12a . 12b may be attached (built-in). However, if the wearer of this spectacle is severely deaf, as illustrated in FIG. 6, temples 12a. It is preferable that the speakers sp1 and sp2 are attached to the ends of extension members 16a and 16b extending downward from 12b, and that the speakers sp1 and sp2 are positioned close to the ear holes of the spectacle wearer when the spectacle wearer wears the spectacles.

FIG. 7 illustrates an eyeglass case 10C that charges the battery 15b of the eyeglasses 10. As shown in FIG. This spectacles case 10C is a non-contact charger and spectacles case in which a large capacity lithium battery (2000 mAh as an example) is built in the bottom of the case. The battery 15b can be charged via the built-in contactless charging coil 15e. It can be recharged about 10 times. When the capacity decreases, the lithium battery can be charged by connecting the cable cb with a USB tab to the power connector.

If the assisting device A1 of the present invention is in the power ON state, when the spectacle wearer is spoken to from any direction, the sound source can be detected even if the direction of the sound source is not known because the spectacle wearer is hearing impaired. Since only the voice of the speaker in the direction is amplified and the sound in the direction other than the sound source direction is attenuated or eliminated, it is possible to hear the speaker clearly. Even when the spectacle wearer learns that the direction of the sound source is the speaker's direction from the movement of the mouth of the speaker, and turns to the speaker's direction, the spectacle wearer can hear the speaker's speech more clearly. can. Therefore, a communication support effect can be obtained.

[Second Invention, First Embodiment]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an example of the support device A2 according to the second invention, FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of spectacles 100 which is one component of the support device A2, and FIG. 10 is the support device A2. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a smartphone (smartphone) 200, which is another component. FIG.

The support device A2 consists of glasses 100 and a smartphone 200 .
As shown in FIG. 9, glasses 100 include conversion means 101, sound source direction determination means 102, control means 103, audio amplification means 104, sound modulation section 104a, noise elimination means 105, and audio output means 106. , first short-range wireless communication means 107 , first important point storage means 108 , output means 109 , and output device 110 .

Sound source direction determination means 102, control means 103, audio amplification means 104, noise elimination means 105, audio output means 106, first short-range wireless communication means 107, first important point storage means 108, and output means 109 are: Functions are realized by a microcomputer including a CPU.

The conversion means 101 collects at least the conversation of the spectacles wearer in the front direction and converts the sound into an audio signal. A microphone can be used for the conversion means 101 .
The conversion means 101 includes front microphones fm1 . It is desirable to be composed of fm2 and side microphones sm1 and sm2. Further, the sound source direction determining means 102, the control means 103, the sound amplifying means 104, the sound modulating section 104a, and the noise canceling means 105 correspond to the sound source direction determining means 14a and the sound amplifying means 14b in FIG. , the noise elimination means 14c, the control means 14d, and the sound modulation section 14e.
Therefore, only the sound in the direction of the sound source from the sound amplifying means 104 is amplified by the amplification factor specified by the sound modulating section 104a and is input to the first short-range wireless communication means 107 via the sound output means 106. FIG.

The first short-range wireless communication means 107 includes a first transmitting section 107a that transmits the audio signal converted by the converting means 101 to the smartphone 200, and a first receiving section 107b that receives important points of conversation, which will be described later, from the smartphone 200. including. Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used for the first short-range wireless communication means 107 .

Thus, the audio signal output from the audio output means 106 is transmitted from the first transmission section 107a of the first short-range wireless communication means 107 to the smartphone 200. FIG.

The first important point storage means 108 stores the important points of the conversation transmitted from the smartphone 200, and constitutes a text information memory (108a) for storing text information constituting the important points and/or the important points. It is composed of a voice information memory (108b) for storing voice information to be played.

The output means 109 outputs the important points of the conversation stored in the first important point storage means 108 to the output device 110 provided in the spectacles 100 .

When the important points are composed of character information, the output means 109 outputs the character information read from the character information memory (108a) to the output device 110. FIG. In this case, as the output device 110, a device that displays important points in characters, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display device) is used. The LCD is provided at a position where the influence on the visual field of the lens 111 of the spectacles 100 is minimized, as illustrated in FIG. When a see-through monitor is used for the output device 110, there is an advantage that important points of the speaker can be visually recognized without obstructing the field of view.

Also, when the important point is composed of voice information, the output means 109 outputs the voice information read from the voice information memory (108b) to the output device 110. FIG. In this case, the output device 110 is one that outputs important points by voice, for example, small speakers sp1 and sp2. The small speakers sp1 and sp2 are desirably provided on the temple 112 of the spectacles 100 at positions closest to the ear holes of the spectacle wearer. In this case, there is an advantage that the existence of the small speakers sp1 and sp2 does not have to be easily known to the other party or the people nearby.

As in the case of the first invention, when the spectacle wearer has a slight hearing impairment, it is preferable to attach the small speakers sp1 and sp2 to the temples 112 of the spectacles. In this case, there is an advantage that the presence of the small speakers sp1 and sp2 is not noticed. If the spectacle wearer is severely deaf, as shown in FIG. 8, the small speakers sp1 and sp2 should be attached to the tips of extension members 113 extending from the temples of the spectacles to the vicinity of the ear holes.

The control means 103 controls the timing for transmitting the audio signal converted from the sound collected by the glasses 100 to the smartphone 200 via the first short-range wireless communication means 107, and It controls the timing of outputting the important points received from the smartphone 200 and stored in the first important point storage means 108 to the output device 110 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , smartphone 200 has second short-range wireless communication means 201 , voice recording means 202 , important point extraction means 203 , and second important point storage means 204 .

The second short-range wireless communication means 201 performs short-range wireless communication with the first short-range wireless communication means 107 of the spectacles 100, and transmits the audio signal transmitted from the first transmission section 107a of the spectacles 100. A second receiving unit 201a for receiving and a second transmitting unit 201b for transmitting the key points of the conversation stored in the second key point storage means 204 to the first receiving unit 107a of the spectacles 100 are included. Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used for the second short-range wireless communication means 201 .

The audio recording means 202 temporarily stores the audio signal received from the first short-range wireless communication means 107 of the glasses 100, and is composed of an audio memory. The important point extracting means 203 extracts important points of the conversation from the voice signal stored in the voice recording means 202 . This extraction of important points is performed by converting the speech from the speech signal into characters on a word-by-word basis using well-known speech-to-text conversion software.

The second important point storage means 204 stores the important points of the conversation extracted by the important point extraction means 203 . When the output device 110 of the spectacles 100 displays important points in characters, the second important point storage means 204 is composed of a character memory that sequentially stores characters converted from speech on a word-by-word basis.
On the other hand, when the output device 110 of the spectacles 100 displays the important points by voice, the second important point storage means 204 stores the voice converted from the voice signal into the important points on a word-by-word basis sequentially. Consists of

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the second invention configured as described above will be described.
The voice (speech voice) delivered from the speaker to the spectacle wearer is converted into a voice signal by the conversion means 101 of the spectacles 100, and the voice signal is transmitted to the smartphone 200 by the first transmission section 107a of the first short-range communication means 107. be done.

The transmitted audio signal is received by the second receiving unit 201a of the second short-range wireless communication means 201 of the smartphone 200, and is temporarily stored in the audio recording means 202 as audio data. The temporarily stored voice data is sequentially given to the important point extracting means 203, and the important points of the conversation are extracted from the voice data. This extraction of important points is performed by converting the voice data into character data in units of words. The converted character data is stored in the second important point storage means 204 and subsequently transmitted to the spectacles 100 by the second transmission section 201b of the second short-range wireless communication means 201. FIG.

When the transmitted character data, which is the important point of the conversation, is received by the first receiving section 107b of the first short-range communication means 107 of the glasses 100, the important point is stored in the first important point storage means 108 of the glasses 100. It is stored and output to the output device 110 by the output means 109 .

One example of the output device 110 is a monitor capable of displaying characters. The monitor is provided at a position that does not block the field of view of the lens 111 of the spectacles 100, and is miniaturized to a size that does not block the field of view. ing.
By using such a monitor, the spectacle wearer can face and listen to the speaker with the same appearance and appearance as a normal spectacle wearer, and can recognize the important points of the talk. . Therefore, the spectacle wearer who is an auditory information processing impaired person can receive the communication support effect.

The output device 110 can be a speaker that displays the important points of the story by voice instead of a monitor that displays the important points of the story by text. In this case, the output means 109 converts the text data, which is the important point of the conversation input from the first important point storage means 108, into voice data and inputs it to the speaker.
In this embodiment, when the spectacle wearer is visually impaired, the communication support effect can be well received.

[Second Invention, Second Embodiment]
As exemplified in FIG. 11, a monitor (110a) for displaying the important points of the story in text and a speaker (110b) for displaying the important points of the story by voice are provided behind the first important point storage means 108 as output devices. and a selection switch 109a for selectively activating either or both of them. Between the selection switch 109a and the monitor (110a) and speaker (110b), output means 109b and 109c for controlling character display or voice display are provided.

By adopting such a configuration, the spectacle wearer can receive the communication support effect by selecting the optimum support mode according to the situation at that time, the hearing impairment situation, and the like.

[Third Invention First Embodiment]
In the third invention, as shown in FIG. 12, the smartphone 200 is provided with a text converting means 205 for converting the important points stored in the second important point saving means 204 in the second invention into text, and the text converting means a third important point storage means 206 for storing the important points converted into text by the third important point storage means 205; It is transmitted to the spectacles 100 by the second transmission section 201 b of the means 201 .
On the other hand, on the spectacles 100 side, the important point text transmitted from the smartphone 200 by the first receiving section 107b of the first short-range communication means 107 is stored in the fourth important point storage means 120, and the stored important point text is stored. The text is read out and displayed on the display unit (monitor) 122 provided on the spectacle lens 111 by the display means 121 .

In a preferred embodiment (second embodiment), as shown in FIG. 13, spectacles 100 are provided with an instruction means 123 comprising a touch sensor and a control section 124, and each time the designation means 123 is touch-operated, the control section 124 causes the important point text stored in the fourth important point storage means 120 to be read out and displayed on the display unit 122 after a certain period of time from the time of the touch operation.

With this configuration, when a hearing-impaired person using this support device is suddenly spoken to and cannot hear, or misses the speaker's voice, by touching the instruction means 123, the hearing-impaired person touches the instruction means 123. The display unit 122 displays the important point text of the story before and after the time. Therefore, communication with the speaker can be continued without interruption.

[Third Invention Third Embodiment]
In the third embodiment of the third invention, as shown in FIG. 14, summarization means 207 is added after third important point storage means 206 on the smartphone 200 side.

That is, important points are extracted by the important point extraction means 203 of the smartphone 200 from the voice data transmitted from the glasses 100 to the smartphone 200 and are stored in the second important point storage means 204 . Subsequently, after the important point text is created by the text conversion means 205 , it is saved in the third important point saving means 206 . Then, based on the saved important point text, the summary creation means 207 creates a summary using known summary creation software, which is sent to the spectacles 100 by the second transmission section 201b of the second short-range wireless communication means 201. Send to
On the spectacles 100 side, the first receiving unit 107b of the first short-range communication means 107 receives the summary (text) transmitted from the smartphone 200, stores it in the summary storage means 120', and stores it. The summarized text is read out and displayed on the display unit (monitor) 122 provided on the spectacle lens 111 by the display means 121 .

As a result, the user of the spectacles 100 can check the summary of the speech of the other party on the monitor 122 provided on the lenses of the spectacles. Since the summary is displayed, it is possible to grasp the contents of the conversation more easily and quickly than when the important points of the conversation are displayed word by word. Therefore, even a person with auditory information processing disorder can communicate smoothly.

[Fourth Invention First Embodiment]
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elderly hearing-impaired communication support device A41 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

16 has voice input means 301, frequency analysis means 302, first amplification means 303, second amplification means 304, selection means 305 and voice output means 306. , can also be called hearing aids for elderly hearing-impaired people.

The voice input means 301 is, for example, a microphone, an induction coil, or an external input terminal for inputting the output of a voice communication device or a voice reproduction device. An external audio signal is input to the audio input means 301 , and the input audio signal is output to the frequency analysis means 302 .

The frequency analysis means 302 analyzes the frequency of the input audio signal, and may be a frequency analyzer using electronics or a digital analyzer using FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). The frequency analysis means 302 inputs the audio signal to the first amplification means 303 when the frequency of the input audio signal is in the frequency band of 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz. When the frequency analysis means 302 detects an audio signal in a frequency band other than the frequency band of 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, that is, an audio signal in the frequency band below 1000 Hz and above 4000 Hz, it inputs it to the second amplification means 304 .

The first amplifying means 303 includes a first amplifier 303a, a second amplifier 303b and a third amplifier 303c. The first amplifier 303 a amplifies the audio signal input from the frequency analysis means 302 so that the sound pressure level of the sound output from the audio output means 306 is 25 to 35 dB, and inputs the audio signal to the audio output means 306 . The second amplifier 303 b amplifies the audio signal input from the frequency analysis means 302 so that the sound pressure level of the sound output from the audio output means 306 is 30 to 40 dB, and inputs the audio signal to the audio output means 306 . The third amplifier 303 c amplifies the audio signal input from the frequency analysis means 302 so that the sound pressure level of the sound output from the audio output means 306 is 35 to 45 dB, and inputs the audio signal to the audio output means 306 .

25 to 35 dB, 30 to 40 dB, and 35 to 45 dB are ranges of sound pressure levels in which hearing-impaired people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s can easily hear the speech output from the audio output means 306 .

The selection means 305 is for selecting which of the three stages of amplification factors of the first amplification means 303 is to be enabled by the user's operation. The selection means 305 has an operating portion, for example, a dial or a slider, and when the operating portion is selectively moved to three stop positions, the first amplifier 303a, the second amplifier 103b, or the third amplifier 303c at each stop position. becomes operable. The selection means 305 consists of three buttons corresponding to the first amplifier 303a, the second amplifier 303b and the third amplifier 303c, respectively. or one) may be made operable.

The second amplifying means 304 receives the audio signal in the frequency band below 1000 Hz and above 4000 Hz input from the frequency analysis means 302, and the audio output means 306 outputs the audio at a sound intensity (sound pressure level) that is easy for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear. The signal is amplified to a gain that can be output, for example, 20 to 30 dB, and is input to audio output means 306 .
The audio output means 306 may be, for example, not only an earphone, a speaker, a headphone, etc., but also a device using a vibrator such as a bone conduction vibrator, electrodes for the inner ear, or the like.

According to the first embodiment, with one type of support device A41 (hearing aid), when the elderly hearing-impaired person is in their 60s, 70s, or 80s, the selection means 305 is operated to By selecting an amplifier (any one of 303a, 303b, or 303c) suitable for the age group of the elderly, the hearing-impaired elderly can clearly hear high-pitched speech that is particularly difficult for them to hear.

[Fourth Invention Second Embodiment]
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elderly hearing-impaired communication support device A42 according to the second embodiment of the fourth invention.

The difference of the second embodiment A42 from the above-described first embodiment A41 is that the first amplifying means 303 in the first embodiment comprises three amplifiers 303a, 303b, 303c having different amplification factors. selects one amplifier corresponding to one's own age group (60's, 70's or 80's) by means of selection means 305 operated by , and determines the amplification factor of the input audio signal. On the other hand, in the second embodiment A42, the first amplifying means 303 uses one amplifier to amplify the audio signal output by the frequency analyzing means 302 when the frequency band of the audio signal to be analyzed is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz. The point is that it is possible to amplify in three stages of the amplification factor, the second amplification factor and the third amplification factor.

The selection means 305 and the control means 107 are connected to the first amplification means 303 . The selection means 305 is operated by the user to select any one of the first amplification factor, the second amplification factor and the third amplification factor as the amplification factor of the first amplification means 303 . Based on the selection signal input by the selection operation of the selection means 305, the control means 107 supplies the first amplification means 303 with a first amplification factor of 25 to 35 dB, a second amplification factor of 30 to 40 dB, and a third amplification factor of 35 to 45 dB. Amplify with any one of the amplification factors.

According to the second embodiment A42, in addition to being able to clearly hear words as in the first embodiment, it is possible to use a low-cost first amplifying means.

[Fourth Invention Third Embodiment]
FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elderly hearing-impaired communication support device A43 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
3rd Embodiment A43 is equipped with the audio|voice analysis means 401, the control means 402, and the signal-processing part 403 between the audio|voice input means 301 and the frequency-analysis means 302 in 1st Embodiment A41. 18, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in FIG. 16, and description thereof is omitted.

Since the frequency analysis means 302 to the audio output means 306 are the same as the frequency analysis means 302 to the audio output means 306 in the above-described first embodiment A41, redundant description will be omitted. However, since the sound output from the sound output means 306 differs in clarity from the sound output from the sound output means 306 in the first embodiment, it will be described in detail later.

The voice input unit 301 receives an external voice signal and outputs the input voice signal to the voice analysis unit 401 and the signal processing unit 403 .

The voice analysis means 401 analyzes the type of sound of the voice signal input to the voice input means 301 . Specifically, the voice analysis means 401 determines whether the input voice signal is in a voiced section or a silent section. Further, the speech analysis means 401 detects a consonant segment and a vowel segment following the consonant segment in the segment determined as a sound segment, thereby determining the consonant segment and the vowel segment.

As an example, the voice analysis means 401 determines the sounded period and the silent period as follows. That is, the speech analysis means 401 calculates the power of the speech signal in a unit time, and determines that it is a voiced section when the time for which the power value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold continues beyond the predetermined time. Also, when the duration is less than a predetermined threshold value or less than a predetermined time, it is determined as a silent section (a section that can be regarded as acoustically silent).
A known determination method other than the above example can be used as a method for determining a sounded segment and a silent segment.

As an example, the speech analysis unit 401 determines the consonant segment and the vowel segment in the segment determined as the sounded segment as follows. That is, the speech analysis means 401 extracts the formant frequency or the pitch period in a segment determined as a sound segment, for example, and determines consonants and vowels based on the respective characteristics of the consonants and vowels. Here, since it is difficult to distinguish a consonant signal alone from other noise, the consonant interval is estimated and determined when the following vowel is detected in order to determine the consonant interval.
A known determination method other than the above may be used to determine the consonant segment and the vowel segment.

The control means 402 controls the signal processing section 403 based on the analysis result of the voice analysis means 401 . More specifically, the control means 402 determines the content of sound processing (whether to expand or compress) based on the type of sound (vowel, consonant, others, etc.) analyzed by the speech analysis means 401. conduct. Then, the signal processing unit 403 is controlled by sending a control signal including information on the sound interval and processing content to the signal processing unit 403 .

Specifically, when a consonant segment or a vowel segment following a consonant segment is detected by the speech analysis means 401, the control means 402 performs signal processing according to the detected consonant segment or the vowel segment following the consonant segment. It controls the unit 403 .

The signal processing section 403 has time expansion means 404 and time compression means 405 . According to the control signal from the control means 402, the time expansion means 404 and the time compression means 405 perform signal processing of the audio signal output from the audio input means 301 as will be described later.

When a consonant interval is detected by the speech analysis unit 401, the control unit 402 inputs a control signal including information for the time extension unit 404 to extend the consonant interval (time extension) to the signal processing unit 403. If there is a vowel segment following the consonant segment detected by the speech analysis means 401, the control means 402 outputs a control signal containing information for the time compression means 405 to compress the vowel segment (time compression). Input to the signal processing unit 403 .

It should be noted that how the control unit 402 and the signal processing unit 403 share the processing can be implemented in various ways depending on the implementation method, and is not limited to the processing sharing of the present embodiment. For example, the control means 402 may be configured to send only the type of sound and the processing details to the signal processing section 403, determine the processing time by the signal processing section 403, and transmit to the control means 402 if necessary. It is possible.

The information for the time expansion means 404 to time-expand the consonant segment may be determined for each type of detected consonant, or may be determined for each group after classifying the consonants into certain groups. good too. Alternatively, it may be determined for each type of consonant or for each group of classified consonants according to the deterioration of the user's time resolution.

The signal processing unit 403 receives an audio signal from the audio input unit 301 and also receives a control signal from the control unit 402 . Based on the control signal from the control means 402, the signal processing section 403 processes the audio signal input from the audio input means 301 by the time expansion means 404 and the time compression means 405 as follows.

That is, when a consonant section is detected by the speech analysis section 401 from the speech signal output from the speech input section 301, the signal processing section 403 temporally expands the consonant section of the speech signal. Further, when at least one of a vowel section and a silent section is detected by the speech analysis section 401 from the speech signal output from the speech input section 301, the signal processing section 403 detects the vowel section and the silent section of the speech signal. compression.

If the following vowel needs to be input to the speech analysis unit 401 in order to determine the consonant, the control signal input from the control unit 402 to the signal processing unit 403 has a delay in determination of the consonant interval. occur. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a delay buffer in the signal processing unit 403 or in a stage preceding the signal processing unit 403 so that the time is compressed and expanded in accordance with the determination delay.

The time expansion means 404 time-expands the consonant section designated by the control signal from the control means 402 . The time extension of the consonant segment can be performed, for example, by temporally cutting out the audio signal of the consonant segment and repeating that part.
It should be noted that the time extension of the consonant section can smoothen the joint by performing cross-fade for fade-in/fade-out. Also, the method of extending the consonant section is not limited to the consonant extension method described above. Other consonant extension schemes may be used.

As described above, the extension of the consonant interval allows even degraded inner ear hair cells to respond to consonants, and can reduce the effects of temporal masking by vowels before and after consonants. . As a result, it is possible to improve the consonant recognition rate of hearing-impaired persons who have difficulty hearing consonants.

The time compression means 405 compresses at least one of the vowel section and the silent section by the length of time obtained by extending the consonant section. More specifically, the time compression means 405, based on the control signal from the control means 402, time-compresses a vowel section or a silent section following a consonant section, or time-compresses both a vowel section and a silent section following a consonant section. I do. Further, the time compression means 405 temporally compresses the vowel segment by deleting a signal from the vowel segment in units of pitches for part of the time of the extended consonant segment, and compresses the remaining time of the extended consonant segment. is compressed by deleting the signal of the silent interval. In this way, the time compression means 405 compresses not the consonant segment itself, but the time increased by the decompression process, ie, the time extended in the consonant segment, in the subsequent segment.

By doing so, even if the time expansion means 404 expands the time of the consonant section, there will be a gap between the visual information and the auditory information, and the auditory assistance by lip sync (synchronization of the visual and auditory) will not be possible. occurrence can be prevented.

By means of the speech analysis means 401, the control means 402, and the signal processing part 403, the consonant section included in the speech signal input to the speech input section 301 is expanded, and the vowel section or silent section following the consonant section is compressed. Therefore, it is considered that the audio signal output from the signal processing unit 403 is a signal that allows the consonants to be heard.

However, since the frequency of the audio signal output from the signal processing unit 403 covers a wide range from the low range to the high range, the problem of not being able to clearly hear words in the high range cannot be eliminated.

In FIG. 18 showing the third embodiment A43, the configuration from the frequency analysis means 302 to the audio output means 306 following the signal processing unit 403 is the same as from the frequency analysis means 302 to the audio output means 306 in the first embodiment A41. is. Therefore, among the audio signals in which consonants can be heard output from the signal processing unit 403, the audio in the high range of 1000 to 4000 Hz, which is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear, is amplified by the user operating the selection means 305. By setting the rate, a clear consonant sound is output from the sound output means 306 at a volume suitable for the individual user and easy to hear, so that the user can clearly hear the words.

An example of operations of the speech analysis means 401, the control means 402 and the signal processing section 403 of the third embodiment will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

The voice analysis means 401 determines whether or not the voice input to the voice input means 301 is in a voiced section (S21; S means step in FIG. 19). When the voice analysis unit 401 determines that the input voice is a sound segment (Y in S21; Y is an abbreviation for Yes), it determines whether the determined sound segment is a consonant segment. to step (S22).

When the voice analysis means 401 determines in S22 that the voice in the sounded segment has a consonant segment (Y in S22), it sets the consonant detection flag F to 1, and proceeds to step S23 for time extension control. . In step S23, the control unit 402 controls the time extension unit 404 of the signal processing unit 403 to perform time extension for a predetermined period of time.

On the other hand, when the speech analysis unit 401 determines in step S22 that the sounded segment is not a consonant segment (N in S22), the process proceeds to step S24 to determine whether or not time compression processing is necessary. In step S24, if the speech analysis means 401 determines that the consonant detection flag F is 1, that is, if it determines that the time compression process is necessary (in the case of Y in S24), it further determines that the sounded section is a vowel It progresses to step S25 which determines whether it is an area. If N in S25, the process ends. When the speech analysis unit 401 determines in step S25 that the sounded segment is a vowel segment (Y in S25), the process proceeds to step S26 where time compression control is performed in units of pitches.
In step S26, the control means 402 controls the time compression means 405 to perform time compression by deleting, in units of pitch, the vowel section for the length of time the consonant is extended or longer. 0 is substituted for .

After completing the time expansion control in step S23 or after completing the time compression control in step S26, the process returns to step S21, and the same processing is repeated for subsequent input voices.

Although not shown in FIG. 18, also in the third embodiment A43, between the frequency analysis means 302 and the audio output means 306, between the frequency analysis means 302 and the audio output means 306 in FIG. A second amplifying means 304 is provided in the same manner as the second amplifying means 304 provided in .

[Fourth Invention Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elderly hearing-impaired communication support device A44 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the third embodiment A43, the amplification section from the frequency analysis means 302 to the audio output means 306 in FIG. 16 is connected to the rear stage of the signal processing section 403. 403 is followed by an amplifying section from the frequency analysis means 302 to the audio output means 306 in FIG.
Also in the fourth embodiment A44, the same effects as those of the above-described third embodiment A43 are achieved.

[Fourth Invention Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elderly hearing-impaired communication support device A45 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
5th Embodiment A45 adds the adjustment part 406 to the control means 402 in 3rd Embodiment A43 of FIG.

The adjustment unit 406 is composed of a time resolution setting means 407 and a time extension/compression adjustment means 408 . The adjustment unit 406 adjusts the time for expanding part of the audio signal and the time for compressing the other part according to the user's auditory time resolution. For example, the adjustment unit 406 lengthens the time for extending the consonant interval when the degree of decrease in the temporal resolution of the user's auditory sense is large compared to when the degree of decrease in the temporal resolution of the user's sense of hearing is small. adjust to

In the temporal resolution setting means 407, an adjustment value for the temporal resolution is set as one of fitting parameters using a fitting program or the like before use in order to adapt to the user. The user's time resolution value is set in the time resolution setting means 407 using the set adjustment value. The adjustment value is input and set from the outside, but is not limited to being set in the time resolution setting means 407 , and may be set by the adjustment section 406 including the time extension/compression adjustment means 408 .

For example, the time resolution setting means 407 may set data measured using a time resolution measurement method or a parameter indicating the degree of decrease in time resolution according to the measured value as the time resolution value of the user's hearing. can be done.

Based on the time resolution value set by the time resolution setting means 407, the time expansion/compression adjusting means 408 adjusts the time (expansion time) expanded by the time expansion means 404 of the signal processing section 403 and the time compressed by the time compression means 405. Set the amount of adjustment to adjust (compression time).

The time extension/compression adjustment means 408 refers to an extension rate table prepared in advance, and performs consonant extension processing based on the set adjustment amount. FIG. 22 shows an example of an extension rate table. This expansion rate table shows the relationship between the time resolution and the expansion rate for each type (component) of each consonant, and the adjustment amount (magnification) to be expanded according to the type of consonant.

Specifically, based on the time resolution value set by the time resolution setting means 407, the time expansion/compression adjusting means 408 sets the expansion time and the compression time to be short when the degree of decrease in time resolution is small, for example. However, if the degree of decrease is large, the decompression time and compression time are set longer. In this manner, by extending the consonants until the user can perceive the consonants according to the degree of deterioration of the user's time resolution, it is possible to make the consonants with short durations easier to perceive.

The control means 402 outputs the adjustment amount set by the time expansion/compression adjustment means 408 to the signal processing section 403 together with a control signal according to the detection result by the speech analysis means 401 . That is, the control means 402 determines the processing content (expansion, compression, etc.) of the sound based on the type of sound (vowel, consonant, others, etc.) analyzed by the speech analysis means 401 . Then, by sending a control signal containing information such as the duration of the sound and the content of processing to the signal processing unit 403 together with the adjustment amount set by the time extension/compression adjustment means 408, the signal processing unit 403 can be controlled. conduct.

The time extension means 404 time-extends the consonant section based on the adjustment amount and the control signal input to the signal processing section 403 by the control means 402 . This time extension of the consonant segment is performed in the same manner as the time extension means 404 in FIG. 18, but the time for extending the consonant segment is also determined based on the input adjustment amount.

The time compression means 405 time-compresses vowel segments and the like based on the adjustment amount and the control signal input to the signal processing section 403 by the control means 402 . This time compression is performed in the same manner as the time compression means 405 in FIG. 18, but the time for compressing the vowel section and the like is also determined based on the input adjustment amount.

Thus, according to the fifth embodiment A45, the time resolution setting means 407 and the time expansion/compression adjustment means 408 adjust the expansion time and compression time of the voice according to the user's auditory time resolution. can do. As a result, it is possible to provide an assisting device capable of improving the hearing of consonants and improving the sound pressure level, which are more suitable for individual users.

[Fourth Invention Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elderly hearing-impaired communication support device A46 according to the sixth embodiment of the fourth invention.

6th Embodiment A46 adds the adjustment part 406 similar to the adjustment part 406 in FIG. 21 to the control means 402 in 4th Embodiment A44 of FIG.

In the sixth embodiment A46, similarly to the fifth embodiment A45, the expansion time and compression time of the voice are adjusted according to the user's auditory time resolution, thereby further adapting to the individual user. It is possible to provide an assistive device that enables improved hearing of consonants and improved sound pressure levels at a lower cost.

[Fifth Invention]
In the seventh embodiment, a first straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the left side member of the spectacles, a second straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the right side member of the spectacles, and a front member sandwiched between the left and right side members A third straight line extending in the longitudinal direction and connected to one end of the first straight line and one end of the second straight line are arranged substantially linearly along a part of the series of lines, and the sound collection ranges are mutually A support device provided with a plurality of different directional microphones will be described.

A specific description will be given with reference to FIG. 24 . FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the first straight line, the second straight line, and the third straight line. FIG. 24 shows a left side member 701 , a right side member 702 , and a front member 703 sandwiched between the left and right side members 701 , 702 . Side members 701 and 702 are temples.

A first straight line is a straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the left side member 701 . The second straight line is a straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the right side member 702 . The third straight line extends longitudinally of the front member 703 and is connected to one end of the first straight line and one end of the second straight line.

In the seventh embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, along a part of a series of lines extending from the first straight line, the second straight line, and the third straight line, the A support device provided with a plurality of directional microphones with different directional characteristics will be described. In the following description, as an example, a support device provided with a plurality of directional microphones arranged substantially linearly along the right side member 702 and having different sound pickup ranges will be described.

FIG. 25 is a view of the right side member 702 of the support device 700 as seen from the right side. Side member 702 is provided with microphone unit 710 , charging terminal 720 , control device 730 , voice suppression microphone 740 , and speaker 750 .

Microphone unit 710 includes directional microphones 711 , 712 , 713 , 714 . The directional microphones 711 , 712 , 713 , and 714 are arranged continuously and substantially linearly as shown in FIG. 25 , and have different sound pickup ranges. The sound pickup range will be described later. The directional microphones 711, 712, 713, 714 are, for example, ECM (Electret Condenser Microphone) or MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) microphones. Since the ECM is a conventionally used microphone, the microphone unit 710 can be configured using existing technology. On the other hand, when MEMS is employed, various sounds can be picked up by miniaturization of the microphone unit 710 and wide dynamic range.

Note that "continuously" in "continuously arranged in a substantially straight line" indicates that the shortest distance between adjacent directional microphones is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. An example of the shortest distance is 0 mm. In this case, adjacent directional microphones are aligned side by side. In actual implementation, it is not preferable that the directional microphones are far apart from each other. Values well below are preferred. A value that allows the wearer to limit the direction of the sound is obtained through experiments or the like.

The charging terminal 720 is a terminal for charging a battery, which will be described later, and is, for example, a USB terminal. The control device 730 controls the support device 700 as a whole. The control device 730 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a memory, and the like. All or part of each function of the control device 730 may be implemented using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The voice suppression microphone 740 is a microphone that picks up the voice of the person wearing the support device 700 in order to suppress the voice of the person wearing the support device 700 . Voice suppression microphone 740 is the ECM, MEMS microphone, or bone conduction microphone described above. The speaker 750 is provided so as to be set near the right ear of the wearer when the support device 700 is worn, and outputs sound to the wearer.

FIG. 26 is a view of the left side member 701 of the support device 700 viewed from the left. A battery 760 , a speaker 770 and a wireless tag 780 are provided on the side member 701 . A battery 760 powers the support device 700 . Also, the battery 760 is charged by power supply from the charging terminal 720 . The speaker 770 is provided so as to be set near the left ear of the wearer when the support device 700 is worn, and outputs sound to the wearer. The wireless tag 780 is an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag. The wireless tag 780 outputs authentication information to the smartphone in response to a request from the smartphone, which will be described later. Authentication information includes a tag ID for uniquely identifying the wireless tag 780 .

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing the sound pickup ranges of the directional microphones 711, 712, 713, and 714. FIG. FIG. 27 is a top view of the wearer of the support device 700. FIG. The top of the figure is the front of the wearer. The sound pickup range of the directional microphone 711 is a range 711R behind the wearer. The sound pickup range of the directional microphone 712 is a range 712R obliquely behind the wearer. The sound pickup range of the directional microphone 713 is a diagonal range 713R in front of the wearer. The sound pickup range of the directional microphone 714 is a sound pickup range 714R in front of the wearer. It should be noted that each sound pickup range shown in FIG. 27 is only a guideline, and sound in a range that is not included in each range may also be picked up.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of communication support system 900 and the configuration of control device 730 of support device 700 . A communication support system 900 includes a support device 700 and a smartphone (hereinafter referred to as “smartphone”) 800 . The control device 730 includes an adjustment section 731 , an output section 732 and a communication section 733 . The adjustment unit 731 adjusts the sound input from the sound pickup range of the directional microphone 714 as one directional microphone among the plurality of directional microphones 711, 712, 713, and 714 from the sound input from outside the sound pickup range. Sound signals representing sounds picked up by the plurality of directional microphones 711 , 712 , 713 , and 714 are adjusted so that the output from the speakers 750 and 770 is relatively large. The sound pickup range of the directional microphone 714 is the sound pickup range 714R in front of the wearer as described above.

As shown in FIG. 28 , adjustment section 731 receives sound signals representing sounds picked up by the directional microphones of microphone unit 710 . Further, the adjustment unit 731 receives a sound signal indicating the sound picked up by the voice suppression microphone 740 . The adjustment unit 731 cancels the sound signal indicating the sound picked up by the directional microphone 714 by using the sound signal indicating the sound picked up by the directional microphones 711, 712, and 713 other than the directional microphone 714 as a cancellation signal. Apply.

Similarly, the adjustment unit 731 applies the sound signal representing the sound picked up by the voice suppression microphone 740 as a cancellation signal to the sound signal representing the sound picked up by the directional microphone 714 .

In this way, with respect to the sound signal representing the sound picked up by the directional microphone 714, the sound picked up by the directional microphones 711, 712, and 713 other than the directional microphone 714 and the sound picked up by the voice suppression microphone 740 are obtained. The adjustment unit 731 outputs to the output unit 732 a signal obtained by applying the sound signal representing the produced sound as a cancellation signal (hereinafter also referred to as “adjusted signal”). Therefore, the sound signal output to the output unit 732 is a sound signal in which the sound input from the sound pickup range of the directional microphone 714 is output from the speakers 750 and 770 larger than the sound input from outside the sound pickup range. is.

As a result, the wearer of the support device 700 can hear the sound picked up from the front in a louder way than the sound (including his/her own voice) input from outside the sound pickup range, and output from the speakers 750 and 770. It is possible to provide a communication support device capable of obtaining communication support effects for persons with auditory information processing disabilities.

Also, the adjustment section 731 outputs the adjusted signal to the output section 732 . The adjusted signal is output to the terminal via communication section 733 . In this embodiment, the smartphone 800 is used as an example of the terminal. Since the sound signal output to the smartphone 800 is also an adjusted signal, it is a sound signal in which the sound input from the sound pickup range of the directional microphone 714 is louder than the sound input from outside the sound pickup range.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing the configuration of the smartphone 800. As shown in FIG. In the configuration shown in FIG. 29, configurations other than the configuration according to this embodiment are omitted. A smartphone 800 includes a communication unit 801 , an acquisition unit 802 , a display unit 803 and an authentication unit 804 . A communication unit 801 communicates with the support device 700, the Internet, and the like. The communication unit 801 communicates sound signals and authentication information with the support device 700 using short-range wireless communication (for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark)).

The acquisition unit 802 acquires an image corresponding to the sound signal of the support device 700 received by the communication unit 801 . Specifically, the acquisition unit 802 converts the sound signal into text data. The acquisition unit 802 extracts noun phrases by performing natural language processing on the text data. The acquisition unit 802 searches for images corresponding to the noun phrase using a search engine for searching the Internet, acquires the searched images, and outputs the images to the display unit 803 . A display unit 803 displays the image output by the acquisition unit 802 .

The smartphone 800 performs retrieval and display in parallel. Specifically, the acquisition unit 802 outputs the image acquired by the search to the display unit 803 each time the image is searched. The display unit 803 can display a plurality of images, erases the images after displaying the images output from the acquisition unit 802 for a certain period of time, and displays the images in the order output from the acquisition unit 802 .

In this way, by displaying an image corresponding to the sound signal, the wearer of the support device 700 can understand the contents of the speech by looking at the smartphone 800 even when the speech of the speaker cannot be heard. easier. In addition, sound signals input from the sound pickup range of the directional microphone 714 are louder than sounds input from outside the sound pickup range. can convert sound signals into text data with high accuracy.

The authentication unit 804 requests authentication information from the wireless tag 780 of the support device 700 , and uses the authentication information output from the wireless tag 780 to authenticate the wearer of the support device 700 . Specifically, the authentication unit 804 stores authentication information of the support device 700 in advance in a storage device (not shown). After that, the authentication unit 804 determines whether or not the authentication information output by the wireless tag 780 matches the authentication information stored in the storage device. If the authentication information matches, the authentication unit 804 determines that the wearer of the support device 700 is an authorized wearer. If the authentication information does not match, the authentication unit 804 determines that authentication has failed.

If it is determined that the authentication has failed, communication with the support device 700 by the communication unit 801 is cut off, and the display unit 803 displays that the authentication has failed. As a result, the sound signal cannot be transmitted or received, so the image corresponding to the sound signal is naturally not displayed. By blocking communication, the support device 700 can be prohibited from communicating with the smartphone 800 of another person. This form of authentication is suitable, for example, when personal information is exchanged between the support device 700 and the smartphone 800, and can prevent the personal information from being stolen by a malicious third party.

FIG. 30A is a graph showing sound frequency and sound pressure level when the adjusted signal is output from speaker 750. FIG. Although an example of output from the speaker 750 is described here, the same applies to the speaker 770 as well. In the graph shown in FIG. 30A, the horizontal axis indicates frequency (Hz) and the vertical axis indicates sound pressure level (dB). Also, the graph shown in FIG. 30A shows sound pressure levels when sounds emitted from four directions to the wearer are output from the speaker 750 . The four directions here are 0 degrees (12 o'clock) straight ahead, 45 degrees diagonally forward (1:30), 90 degrees right sideways (3 o'clock), and 180 degrees right behind (6 o'clock). Note that the parentheses indicate the direction expressed by the clock position. In general conversation, it is considered that the other party is in a direction from 0 degrees to ±45 degrees.

In the graph shown in FIG. 30A, graph 901 indicates the sound pressure level when sound emitted from the direction of 0 degrees is output from speaker 750 . A graph 902 shows the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 45 degrees is output from the speaker 750 . A graph 903 shows the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 90 degrees is output from the speaker 750 . A graph 904 indicates the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 180 degrees is output from the speaker 750 .

As shown in FIG. 30A , the sound pressure level when sounds emitted from directions of 0 degrees and 45 degrees are output from speaker 750 is as follows: It can be seen that the sound pressure level is higher than the output sound pressure level. Therefore, the sound picked up from the front is output from the speakers 750 and 770 at a higher level than the sound input from outside the sound pickup range. can provide.

FIG. 30B is a graph showing, as a reference example, the frequency and sound pressure level of sound output from a speaker when there is one microphone. In the graph shown in FIG. 30B, the horizontal axis indicates frequency (Hz) and the vertical axis indicates sound pressure level (dB). Also, the graph shown in FIG. 30B shows the sound pressure levels when the sounds emitted from the four directions to the wearer are output from the speaker.

In the graph shown in FIG. 30B as well, the graph 901 indicates the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 0 degrees is output from the speaker 750 . A graph 902 shows the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 45 degrees is output from the speaker 750 . A graph 903 shows the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 90 degrees is output from the speaker 750 . A graph 904 indicates the sound pressure level when the sound emitted from the direction of 180 degrees is output from the speaker 750 .

As shown in FIG. 30B, the sound pressure levels when sounds emitted from directions of 0, 45, and 90 degrees are output from the speaker 750 are as follows: It can be seen that the sound pressure level is higher than the output sound pressure level. That is, not only the sound from the front but also the sound from the side is output with the same volume as the sound in front. In this case, the wearer hears unnecessary sounds, which is not preferable.

Next, the sound pressure levels output from the speakers 750 and 770 when the sound directions are different will be described. FIG. 31 is a diagram showing different sound directions. FIG. 31 is a top view of the wearer of the support device 700. FIG. The top of the figure is the front of the wearer. A direction F indicates a direction from the front of the wearer toward the wearer. A direction R indicates a direction from the wearer's right toward the wearer. As described above, the microphone unit 710 is provided on the wearer's right side. A direction L indicates a direction from the wearer's left toward the wearer.

FIG. 32A is a graph showing sound frequency and sound pressure level when the adjusted signal is output from speaker 770. FIG. A speaker 770 is a speaker provided on the left side member 701 where the microphone unit 710 is not provided. In the graph shown in FIG. 32A, the horizontal axis indicates frequency (Hz) and the vertical axis indicates sound pressure level (dB). Also, the graph shown in FIG. 32A shows sound pressure levels when sounds emitted from directions F, R, and L are output from the speaker 770 .

In the graph shown in FIG. 32A, graph 910F shows the sound pressure level when sound emitted from direction F is output from speaker 770. In FIG. Graph 910R shows the sound pressure level when sound emitted from direction R is output from speaker 770 . Graph 910L shows the sound pressure level when sound emitted from direction L is output from speaker 770 .

As shown in FIG. 32A, the magnitude of the sound pressure level decreases in the F, R, and L directions. Thus, the sound emitted from the front of the wearer is the loudest sound output from the speaker 770 . Therefore, the wearer can roughly determine whether the sound is coming from the front or not, based on the loudness of the sound heard from the speaker 770 . That is, the wearer can limit the direction of sound.

FIG. 32B is a graph showing sound frequency and sound pressure level when the adjusted signal is output from speaker 750 . A speaker 750 is a speaker provided on the right side member 702 on which the microphone unit 710 is provided. In the graph shown in FIG. 32B, the horizontal axis indicates frequency (Hz) and the vertical axis indicates sound pressure level (dB). Also, the graph shown in FIG. 32A shows sound pressure levels when sounds emitted from directions F, R, and L are output from the speaker 750 .

In the graph shown in FIG. 32B, graph 910F shows the sound pressure level when sound emitted from direction F is output from speaker 770. In FIG. Graph 910R shows the sound pressure level when sound emitted from direction R is output from speaker 770 . Graph 910L shows the sound pressure level when sound emitted from direction L is output from speaker 770 .

As shown in FIG. 32B, the magnitude of the sound pressure level decreases in the F, R, and L directions. Compared to the graph shown in FIG. 32A, the difference between the values in each graph is smaller, but the sound emitted from the front of the wearer is the loudest sound output from the speaker 770 . Therefore, the wearer can roughly determine whether the sound is coming from the front or not, based on the loudness of the sound heard from the speaker 770 . That is, the wearer can limit the direction of sound.

As described above, both the speakers 750 and 770 output the loudest sound emitted from the front of the wearer. Therefore, the wearer can roughly determine whether or not the sound is coming from the front, based on the loudness of the sound heard from the speakers 750 and 770 . That is, the wearer can limit the direction of the sound more accurately than when the speaker is provided only on one side.

In the above-described seventh embodiment, the form in which the directional microphone is provided on the right side member was taken as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a microphone unit 920 may be provided on the left side member as shown in FIG. 33A. Further, as shown in FIG. 33B, one directional microphone 921 may be provided on the front member and two directional microphones 922 on the left side member. That is, three or more directional microphones may be provided. When there are three directional microphones, there are three sound pickup directions for each directional microphone: front, side, and rear. By collecting sound from three directions, front, side, and rear, the direction of sound can be limited.

Providing directional microphones on only one of the right and left side members simplifies the process compared to providing directional microphones on both the front and side members. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the support device 700 can be reduced.

As described above, according to the seventh embodiment, the sound picked up from the front is output from the speakers 750 and 770 at a higher level than the sound that is input from outside the sound pickup range, and the direction of the sound is more accurately detected. can be limited, it is possible to provide a communication support device capable of obtaining a communication support effect for persons with auditory information processing disabilities. It should be noted that the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of the seventh embodiment, or the configuration of another embodiment may be used in place of the configuration of the seventh embodiment.

Additional remarks and the like related to the present embodiment are described below.

The above first and second objects are achieved by an invention having the following configurations.
[First Invention]
The first invention is a support device that realizes the effect (a) among the above communication support effects, and is characterized in that all of the constituent elements are provided in spectacles, and the spectacles have lenses or not. does not matter. It doesn't matter whether you have lenses or not. The components of this support device are at least a plurality of front microphones (microphones) provided on the front member of the spectacles at intervals in the lateral direction, and side microphones provided on the left and right side members of the spectacles. sound source direction determining means for determining the direction of the sound source based on the sound signal input from each of the microphones; noise elimination means for eliminating audio signals input from microphones other than microphones facing the sound source direction determined by the sound source direction determination means; It is a speaker that emits a sound. (Appendix 1)
With the above configuration, the wearer of the spectacles can clearly hear only the voice in the front or side direction of the sound source.

The speaker is preferably an array speaker in which a plurality of small speakers with sound tubes are arranged close to each other. (Appendix 2)
As a result, only the voice in the direction of the sound source can be clearly heard, and other environmental sounds (noise) cannot be heard.

[Second Invention]
The second invention is a support device for realizing the effect (a) of the above communication support effects, comprising glasses and a smartphone (smartphone), and the glasses collect at least conversations in the front direction. , a conversion means for converting into a voice signal, a first transmission unit for transmitting the converted voice signal to a smartphone, and a first reception unit for receiving important points of conversation transmitted from the smartphone. means, first important point storage means for storing the important points received from the smartphone, output means for outputting the saved important points to an output device provided on the glasses, and timing for outputting the important points to the output device. wherein the smartphone includes audio signal recording means for recording audio signals received from the first short-range wireless communication means of the glasses, and extracting important points of conversation from the recorded audio signals. a second important point storage means for storing the important points extracted by the important point extracting means; and a second receiving section for receiving an audio signal from the first short-range wireless communication means of the glasses. a second short-range wireless communication means including a second transmitter for transmitting the important points stored in the second important point storage means to the first short-range wireless communication means of the spectacles.
(Appendix 3) Even if the wearer of the spectacles described above cannot hear the contents of the speech of the speaker, the important points are output to the output device of the spectacles, so that the wearer can understand the speech of the speaker. Therefore, one of the communication support effects can be obtained.

In the second invention, the smartphone includes text converting means for converting the important points stored in the second important point saving means into text, and third important point saving means for saving the important points converted into text by the text converting means. means, wherein when the glasses receive textual important points from the smartphone, the glasses store fourth important point storage means for storing the textual important points; and display means for displaying on the output device provided in the above. (Appendix 4)

Even if the wearer of the glasses described above cannot understand what the speaker is saying, the important points of the speech are displayed in characters on the display section of the glasses, so that the wearer can communicate with the speaker. Therefore, one of the communication support effects can be obtained.

In the second invention, the output device converts the important point text into an audio signal and outputs the audio signal, or the output device is provided near the ear of the eyeglass temple, and the important point text is displayed as an image. It is characterized by being an LCD (liquid crystal monitor) for display. (Appendix 5)

In the second invention, furthermore, the display means of the spectacles displays the important points stored in the fourth important point storage means after a certain period of time before the operation when the instruction means provided on the spectacles is operated. It is desirable to display the points on the display. (Appendix 6)

This embodiment of the second invention is a support device that realizes the above effect (c). That is, when wearing the above glasses, when the speaker is suddenly spoken to and cannot hear what the speaker is saying, or when the speaker is tired after talking for a long time, the user can operate the instruction means. Since the important points of the content spoken after a certain period of time from the time of operation are displayed on the display unit, it is possible to prevent gaps in understanding from occurring.

[Third Invention]
A third invention is a support device for realizing the effect of (d) above (that words that cannot be heard can be confirmed by text and/or voice), and is composed of glasses and a smartphone, and the glasses are used for the conversation of the other party. a first short-range wireless communication means including a sound collecting means for collecting sound, a first transmitting unit for wirelessly transmitting the collected sound signal to a smartphone described later, and a first receiving unit for wirelessly receiving a summary from the smartphone described later; , display means provided on the lens of the spectacles to display a summary received from a smartphone described later, wherein the smartphone includes a second receiving section for receiving an audio signal transmitted from a first transmitting section of the spectacles; second short-range wireless communication means including a second transmitter for transmitting a summary to the first receiver of the glasses; recording means for storing audio signals received by the second receiver; and recorded voice. It is characterized by having speech character conversion means (text conversion means) for converting a signal into text word by word, and summary creation means for creating a summary sentence from the text. (Appendix 7)
With the above configuration, even if the spectacle wearer cannot hear the other party's speech, the contents of the speech are converted into text and a summary of the text is displayed on the display means of the spectacles, so that the spectacles can be worn. It is expected that auditory information processing disabilities who live in Japan will be able to understand the content of speech well.

As another aspect of the third aspect of the present invention, instead of providing means for displaying the summary in characters on the spectacles, it is preferable to provide means for outputting the summary by voice on the spectacles so as to be positioned near the ear canal when the spectacles are worn. . (Appendix 8)

In the case of this invention, a person with auditory information processing disabilities who is also a visually impaired person can understand the content of speech well.

As still another embodiment of the third invention, the spectacles are provided with a liquid crystal monitor for displaying the summary in text, and a speaker (built-in type, external type speaker) for outputting the summary by voice is positioned near the ear canal when the spectacles are worn. It can also be set as (Appendix 9)

In this case, the comprehension of the summary character display by the liquid crystal monitor is assisted by the summary voice output by the speaker, making it easier to understand the other party's speech.

As still another form of the third invention, it is desirable to provide selection means for selecting either one or both of summary text display on the liquid crystal monitor and summary voice output from the speaker. (Appendix 10)

By providing such a selection means, the spectacle wearer can select the most suitable support according to the degree of his or her auditory information processing disorder or visual impairment.

In one aspect, a communication support device for elderly hearing-impaired persons according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes: audio input means for inputting an audio signal; frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the audio signal input to the audio input means; When the frequency band of the audio signal is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, the audio signal output by the frequency analysis means is amplified, the audio output means outputs the audio amplified by the amplification means, and the selection means. The amplification means includes first amplification means for amplifying the audio signal output by the frequency analysis means to 25 to 35 dB, second amplification means for amplification to 30 to 40 dB, and third amplification means for amplification to 35 to 45 dB. wherein the selecting means selects which one of the first amplifying means, the second amplifying means and the third amplifying means to operate by the user's operation. (Appendix 11)

With the above configuration, the user of this support device operates the selection means according to whether he/she is in his/her sixties, seventies or eighties. By selecting either the means or the third amplifying means, speech in a high-pitched range, which is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear, is output at a volume suitable for the individual user and easy to hear, so that the user can clearly hear the words.

In another aspect, a communication support device for elderly hearing-impaired persons according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes voice input means for inputting a voice signal, frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the voice signal input to the voice input means, Amplifying means for amplifying the audio signal output by the frequency analyzing means when the frequency band of the audio signal to be analyzed is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, Audio output means for outputting the audio amplified by the amplifying means, and Selecting means. , control means, and the selection means allows the user to set the amplification rate of the amplification means to any one of a first amplification rate of 25 to 35 dB, a second amplification rate of 30 to 40 dB, and a third amplification rate of 35 to 45 dB. The control means causes the amplification means to amplify by any one of the first amplification factor, the second amplification factor and the third amplification factor based on the selection operation of the selection means. It is characterized by (Appendix 12)

With the above configuration, the user selects any one of the first amplification factor, the second amplification factor, and the third amplification factor according to whether the user is in their 60s, 70s, or 80s. If selected, speech in a high-pitched range, which is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear, is output at a volume suitable for the individual user and easy to hear, so that the user can clearly hear the words.

In still another aspect, the communication support device for elderly hearing-impaired persons according to the fourth invention detects voice input means for inputting a voice signal, and a sounded section and a silent section of the voice signal input to the voice input means. a speech analysis means for detecting a vowel interval and a consonant interval in the detected sounded interval; a temporal extension of the consonant interval detected by the speech analysis means; and analyzing the consonant frequency expanded by the audio signal processing means and the vowel frequency compressed by the audio signal processing means, and when the frequency band is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, the audio signal Amplification means for amplifying the audio signal output by the frequency analysis means when the frequency band of the audio signal to be analyzed is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, and outputting the audio amplified by the amplification means It has audio output means and selection means, and the amplification means includes first amplification means for amplifying the audio signal output by the frequency analysis means to 25 to 35 dB and second amplification means for amplifying to 30 to 40 dB. , and a third amplifying means for amplifying to 35-45 dB, wherein the selecting means allows a user to select which of the first amplifying means, the second amplifying means and the third amplifying means to operate. Characterized by (Appendix 13)

With the above configuration, the user can operate the selection means to operate the first amplifying means, the second amplifying means and the third If one of the amplification means is selected, high-pitched speech that is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear is output at a volume suitable for the individual user and easy to hear, so the user is not affected by temporal masking. Can hear words clearly, including consonants.

In still another aspect, the communication support device for elderly hearing-impaired persons according to the fourth invention detects voice input means for inputting a voice signal, and a sounded section and a silent section of the voice signal input to the voice input means. a speech analysis means for detecting a vowel interval and a consonant interval in the detected sounded interval; a temporal extension of the consonant interval detected by the speech analysis means; and analyzing the consonant frequency expanded by the audio signal processing means and the vowel frequency compressed by the audio signal processing means, and when the frequency band is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, the audio signal Amplification means for amplifying the audio signal output by the frequency analysis means when the frequency band of the audio signal to be analyzed is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz, and outputting the audio amplified by the amplification means It has audio output means, selection means, and control means, and the selection means allows the user to select any one of the first amplification factor, the second amplification factor, and the third amplification factor as the amplification factor of the amplification means. Based on the selection operation of the selection means, the control means selects any one of a first gain of 25 to 35 dB, a second gain of 30 to 40 dB, and a third gain of 35 to 45 dB. It is characterized in that it is amplified with one amplification factor. (Appendix 14)

With the above configuration, the user can operate the selection means to operate the first amplifying means, the second amplifying means and the third If one of the amplification means is selected, high-pitched speech that is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear is output at a volume suitable for the individual user and easy to hear, so the user is not affected by temporal masking. Can hear words clearly, including consonants.

In still another aspect, the communication support device for elderly hearing-impaired persons according to the fourth invention detects voice input means for inputting a voice signal, and a sounded section and a silent section of the voice signal input to the voice input means. a speech analysis means for detecting a vowel interval and a consonant interval in the detected sounded interval; a temporal extension of the consonant interval detected by the speech analysis means; audio signal processing means for compressing to , adjustment means for adjusting the time to extend the consonant section based on time resolution information representing the time resolution of the user's auditory sense, frequency of the consonant expanded by the audio signal processing means and frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the vowels compressed by the audio signal processing means and outputting the audio signal when the frequency band is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz; Amplifying means for amplifying an audio signal output by the frequency analyzing means at a certain time; Audio output means for outputting the audio amplified by the amplifying means; a first amplification means for amplifying an audio signal to be output to 25 to 35 dB, a second amplification means for amplifying to 30 to 40 dB, and a third amplification means for amplifying to 35 to 45 dB; is for selecting which one of the first amplifying means, the second amplifying means and the third amplifying means to operate. (Appendix 15)

With the above configuration, the user can operate the selection means to operate the first amplifying means, the second amplifying means and the third If one of the amplification means is selected, high-pitched speech that is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear is output at a volume that is easy to hear according to the time resolution of the user's individual hearing. Can hear words clearly, including consonants, without being affected by

In still another aspect, the communication support device for elderly hearing-impaired persons according to the fourth invention detects voice input means for inputting a voice signal, and a sounded section and a silent section of the voice signal input to the voice input means. a speech analysis means for detecting a vowel interval and a consonant interval in the detected sounded interval; a temporal extension of the consonant interval detected by the speech analysis means; audio signal processing means for compressing to , adjustment means for adjusting the time to extend the consonant section based on time resolution information representing the time resolution of the user's auditory sense, frequency of the consonant expanded by the audio signal processing means and frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the vowels compressed by the audio signal processing means and outputting the audio signal when the frequency band is from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz; Amplifying means for amplifying an audio signal output by the frequency analyzing means at a certain time, audio output means for outputting the audio amplified by the amplifying means, and selecting means, wherein the selecting means allows the user to select the amplifying means. The control means is operated to select any one of the first amplification factor of 25 to 35 dB, the second amplification factor of 30 to 40 dB, and the third amplification factor of 35 to 45 dB. It is characterized in that the amplifying means amplifies with any one of the first amplification factor, the second amplification factor and the third amplification factor based on the selection operation. (Appendix 16)

With the above configuration, the user can select any one of the first amplification factor, the second amplification factor, and the third amplification factor by the selection means according to whether the user is in his/her 60s, 70s, or 80s. If either is selected, a high-pitched voice that is particularly difficult for elderly hearing-impaired people to hear is output at a volume suitable for the individual user and easy to hear, so that the user can hear consonants without being affected by temporal masking. Speech can be heard clearly, including

A1, A2, A3 support device 10, 100 glasses
Fm1,fm2 front microphone
Sm1, sm2 Side microphone 12a, 12b Temple 13 Control board 14a, 102 Sound source direction determination means 14b, 103 Sound amplification means 14c, 104 Noise elimination means 14d, 105 Control means 14e, 103a Sound modulation part sp1, sp2 Speaker 15a Volume (touch sensor)
15b battery 15c power switch 100 glasses 111 lens 112 temple 113 extension member 200, 800 smartphone (smartphone)
A41 support device (first embodiment)
A42 support device (second embodiment)
A43 support device (third embodiment)
A44 support device (fourth embodiment)
A45 support device (fifth embodiment)
A46 support device (sixth embodiment)
700 support device (seventh embodiment)
701, 702 side member 703 front member 710 microphone unit 711, 712, 713, 714 directional microphone 720 charging terminal 730 control device 731 adjustment unit 732 output unit 733 communication unit 740 voice suppression microphone 750, 770 speaker 760 battery 780 wireless Tag 801 Communication unit 802 Acquisition unit 803 Display unit

Claims (9)

A first straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the left side member of the spectacles, a second straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the right side member of the spectacles, and a front member sandwiched between the left and right side members and extending in the longitudinal direction of the front member A plurality of directivities having different sound pickup ranges, which are arranged substantially linearly along a part of a series of lines extending from one end of the first straight line and a third straight line connected to one end of the second straight line. sexual mic and
the plurality of directional microphones, such that the sound input from the sound pickup range of one of the plurality of directional microphones is output from the speaker louder than the sound input from outside the sound pickup range an adjustment unit that adjusts a sound signal representing sound picked up by the microphone;
A communication support device with 2. The communication support device according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of directional microphones are continuously arranged in a substantially straight line along a part of said series of lines. 3. The communication support device according to claim 1, wherein three or more of said plurality of directional microphones are provided. The adjustment unit applies, as a cancellation signal, a sound signal representing sound picked up by a directional microphone other than the one directional microphone to a sound signal representing sound picked up by the one directional microphone. 4. The communication support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sound signal representing the sound picked up by the plurality of directional microphones is adjusted. 5. The communication support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an output unit that outputs the sound signal adjusted by the adjustment unit to a terminal capable of displaying an image corresponding to the sound signal. 6. The communication support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising another output unit for outputting authentication information to a terminal that authenticates a wearer of the communication support device. 7. The communication support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said directional microphone is ECM or MEMS. A communication support system including a communication support device and a terminal capable of displaying images,
The communication support device is
A first straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the left side member of the spectacles, a second straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the right side member of the spectacles, and a front member sandwiched between the left and right side members and extending in the longitudinal direction of the front member A plurality of directivities having different sound collection ranges, which are arranged substantially linearly along a part of a series of lines extending from one end of the first straight line and the third straight line connected to one end of the second straight line. with a microphone
the plurality of directional microphones, such that the sound input from the sound pickup range of one of the plurality of directional microphones is output from the speaker louder than the sound input from outside the sound pickup range an adjustment unit that adjusts a sound signal representing sound picked up by the microphone;
an output unit that outputs the sound signal adjusted by the adjustment unit to the terminal;
with
The terminal is
a display unit that displays an image corresponding to the sound signal output by the output unit;
A communication support system with The communication support device includes another output unit that outputs authentication information to the terminal,
9. The communication support system according to claim 8, wherein the terminal uses the authentication information output by the other output unit to authenticate the wearer of the communication support device.

Images