JP7181116B2 - control system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a technique for responding to an operator's instruction by voice.

With the progress of voice recognition technology, a mechanism is becoming popular in which, when an operator gives an instruction to a device by voice, the apparatus responds to the instruction by voice and performs processing according to the instruction. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses that a robot that receives a voice command by utterance transmits an operation instruction specified from the voice command to a home appliance, and outputs by voice whether the home appliance was able to operate according to the operation instruction. ing.

JP 2016-76799 A

Assuming a television receiver as the object of voice control, various voice input/output devices can be connected to the TV receiver, so there are multiple candidate speakers that respond to the operator's instructions with voice. could be.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for switching a speaker for voice response to an operator's instruction to a television receiver.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention converts a first speaker provided in a television receiver or a broadcast signal into a signal viewable by the television receiver to control the television receiver. a determining unit that determines one of the second speakers connected wirelessly or via a wire to the control device as a speaker that performs voice response to control content instructed by an operator to the television receiver; a response control unit that performs control for performing the voice response from the speaker determined by the unit, wherein the determination unit determines the speaker that performs the voice response based on the presence or absence of a person other than the operator. To provide a control system characterized by:

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention converts a first speaker provided in a television receiver or a broadcast signal into a signal viewable by the television receiver to control the television receiver. a determination unit that determines one of the second speakers connected to the control device via a wire or wirelessly as a speaker that performs voice response to the control content instructed by the operator to the television receiver; a response control unit that performs control for performing the voice response from the speaker determined by the unit, wherein the determination unit determines the speaker for performing the voice response based on the control content instructed by the operator. To provide a control system characterized by:

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention converts a first speaker provided in a television receiver or a broadcast signal into a signal viewable by the television receiver to control the television receiver. a determining unit that determines one of the second speakers connected wirelessly or via a wire to the control device as a speaker that performs voice response to control content instructed by an operator to the television receiver; a response control unit that performs control for performing the voice response from the speaker determined by the unit, wherein the determination unit performs the voice response based on the content of the program being output by the television receiver. A control system is provided characterized by determining which loudspeaker to perform.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention converts a first speaker provided in a television receiver or a broadcast signal into a signal viewable by the television receiver to control the television receiver. a determining unit that determines one of the second speakers connected wirelessly or via a wire to the control device as a speaker that performs voice response to control content instructed by an operator to the television receiver; a response control unit that performs control for performing the voice response from the speaker determined by the unit, wherein the determination unit determines the speaker for performing the voice response based on the speed of voice utterance by the operator. To provide a control system characterized by:

According to the present invention, it is possible to switch the speaker that performs voice response to the operator's instruction.

It is a figure which illustrates the structure of the control system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which illustrates the hardware constitutions of a server apparatus. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a smart phone; FIG. It is a block diagram showing an example of functional composition of a control system. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of distances between a television receiver and an operator; 4 is a flow chart illustrating an operation by a server device;

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a control system 1 of this embodiment. The control system 1 includes a television receiver 10 (hereinafter referred to as a television 10), a set-top box 20, an audio device 30, a smartphone 40, a server device 50, and these set-top box 20 and smartphone 40. and a network 2 that communicably connects the server device 50 . The set-top box 20 incorporates a tuner (not shown) and the like, and is a control device that converts broadcast signals into signals viewable on the television 10 and controls the television 10 . The audio device 30 is a device whose main function is input/output of audio. The smart phone 40 is a communication device suitable for being carried by an operator. The network 2 is a wireless or wired communication network of any communication standard such as Wifi (registered trademark) or LTE (Long Term Evolution), and includes a wireless base station (not shown) and its host device. The television 10 and the set-top box 20 are connected by, for example, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) (registered trademark). The set-top box 20 and the audio device 30 are connected by, for example, BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). The smart phone 40 and the set top box 20 are connected by the network 2 . FIG. 1 shows only one television receiver 10, one set-top box 20, one audio device 30, one smartphone 40, and one server device 50; good.

The television 10 includes a speaker 11 (hereinafter referred to as a TV speaker 11) in addition to a display and a tuner (not shown). The audio device 30 includes a microphone 21 (hereinafter referred to as DV microphone 21) and a speaker 22 (hereinafter referred to as DV speaker 22) in addition to a BLE communication unit (not shown). The configuration of the smart phone 40 will be detailed later, but the smart phone 40 includes a microphone 41 (hereinafter referred to as SP microphone 41) and a speaker 42 (hereinafter referred to as SP speaker 42). The TV speaker 11 is a first speaker that the television 10 has. Each of the DV speaker 22 and the SP speaker 42 is a second speaker connected to the set top box 20 wirelessly or via a wire.

When the operator gives a desired control instruction to the television 10 by voice, this voice is picked up by the DV microphone 21 or the SP microphone 41 . This voice is analyzed by a known voice recognition technique, and the contents of control instructed by the operator are executed on the television 10 . When the operator's voice is picked up by the DV microphone 21, the voice data is transmitted from the voice device 30 through the set-top box 20 to the server device 50 via the network 2, and the server device 50 recognizes the voice. , under the control of the server device 50, the control content corresponding to the speech recognition result is executed in the television 10. FIG. On the other hand, when the operator's voice is picked up by the SP microphone 41, the voice data is transmitted from the smart phone 40 to the server device 50 via the network 2, and the server device 50 recognizes the voice. Under control, the television 10 executes the control content according to the speech recognition result.

In response to such instructions from the operator, the TV speaker 11 (that is, the first speaker), the DV speaker 22, or the SP speaker 42 (that is, the second speaker) responds by voice. This voice response is, for example, a message indicating that an instruction from the operator has been accepted, or a message such as an answer or question to the operator's instruction.

The server apparatus 50 determines either the first speaker or the second speaker as a speaker that performs voice response to the control content instructed by the operator to the television 10 . Although this speaker determination is made based on various conditions, in this embodiment, an example in which this determination is made based on the distance between the operator and the television 10 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server device 50. As shown in FIG. The server device 50 is physically configured as a computer device including a processor 5001, a memory 5002, a storage 5003, a communication device 5004, an input device 5005, an output device 5006, and a bus connecting them. Note that in the following description, the term "apparatus" can be read as a circuit, device, unit, or the like. The hardware configuration of the server device 50 may be configured to include one or more of each device shown in the figure, or may be configured without some of the devices.

Each function in the server device 50 is performed by causing the processor 5001 to perform calculations, controlling communication by the communication device 5004, and controlling the and by controlling at least one of reading and writing of data in the storage 5003 .

The processor 5001, for example, operates an operating system and controls the entire computer. The processor 5001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, registers, and the like. Also, for example, a baseband signal processing unit, a call processing unit, and the like may be implemented by the processor 5001 .

The processor 5001 reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 5003 and the communication device 5004 to the memory 5002, and executes various processes according to them. As the program, a program that causes a computer to execute at least part of the operations described below is used. The functional blocks of server device 50 may be implemented by a control program stored in memory 5002 and running on processor 5001 . Various types of processing may be executed by one processor 5001, but may also be executed by two or more processors 5001 simultaneously or sequentially. Processor 5001 may be implemented by one or more chips. Note that the program may be transmitted from the network 2 to the server device 50 via an electric communication line.

The memory 5002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and is composed of at least one of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and RAM (Random Access Memory). may be The memory 5002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory (main storage device), or the like. The memory 5002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc. for performing methods according to the present invention.

The storage 5003 is a computer-readable recording medium, for example, an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disc, a magneto-optical disc (e.g., a compact disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray disk), smart card, flash memory (eg, card, stick, key drive), floppy disk, magnetic strip, and/or the like. Storage 5003 may be called an auxiliary storage device.

The communication device 5004 is hardware (transmitting/receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, or the like.

The input device 5005 is an input device (for example, keyboard, mouse, switch, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 5006 is an output device (such as a display) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 5005 and the output device 5006 may be integrated (for example, a touch panel).

Each device such as processor 5001 and memory 5002 is connected by a bus for communicating information. The bus may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between devices.

The server device 50 includes hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Alternatively, the hardware may implement part or all of each functional block. For example, processor 5001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the smart phone 40. As shown in FIG. The smart phone 40 has a display function and functions as a display device in the present invention. The smart phone 40 is physically configured as a computer device including a processor 4001, a memory 4002, a storage 4003, a smart phone 4004, an input device 4005, an output device 4006, and a bus connecting them. The processor 4001 , memory 4002 , storage 4003 , input device 4005 , and output device 4006 are the same device group as the processor 5001 , memory 5002 , storage 5003 , input device 5005 , and output device 5006 included in the server device 50 . The input device 5005 includes the SP microphone 41 described above. The output device 5006 includes the SP speaker 42 described above.

Note that the smart phone 4004 has a configuration suitable for wireless communication, for example, a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, and a duplexer to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). , filters, and frequency synthesizers. For example, the transmitting/receiving antenna, the amplifier section, the transmitting/receiving section, the transmission path interface, etc. may be implemented by the smart phone 4004 . The transceiver may be physically or logically separate implementations for the transmitter and receiver.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control system 1. As shown in FIG. In the server device 50 , the acquisition unit 51 acquires the operator's voice data input to the DV microphone 31 of the audio device 30 via the set-top box 20 and the network 2 . The acquisition unit 51 also acquires the voice data of the operator input to the SP microphone 41 of the smart phone 40 via the network 2 .

In the server device 50, when the voice data of the operator is acquired by the acquisition unit 51, the determination unit 52 selects the TV speaker 11 (that is, the first speaker), or the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42 (that is, the second speaker). speaker) is determined to be the speaker that performs voice response to the control contents instructed by the operator to the television 10 . In this embodiment, the determination unit 52 stores an algorithm for determining the speaker that performs voice response based on the distance between the operator and the television 10 . This algorithm includes an algorithm for determining the distance between the operator and the television 10, and an algorithm for determining the speaker that performs the voice response based on the distance.

The algorithm for obtaining the distance between the operator and the television 10 is, for example, the volume of the sound from the television 10 picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 and the volume of the sound from the operator picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41. The distance between the operator and the television 10 is estimated based on the sound volume. Specifically, the determining unit 52 predetermines the standard volume (standard volume) for the volume of the voice from the television 10 and the volume of the voice from the operator, respectively, and the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 receives the volume. Based on a comparison between a value obtained by dividing the volume of the sound from the TV 10 that sounded by the standard volume and a value obtained by dividing the volume of the voice from the operator picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 by the standard volume, A distance between the operator and the television 10 is estimated. The standard volume of sound from the television 10 may be a volume determined for each volume output from the television 10, for example. That is, since the volume specified by the user or the like to be output from the television 10 can be specified, the determination unit 52 may determine the standard volume according to the volume.

In the example of FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 5A, the value obtained by dividing the volume of the sound from the television 10 picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 by the standard volume is the DV microphone 31 or When the volume of the voice from the operator picked up by the SP microphone 41 is evaluated to be smaller than the value obtained by dividing the volume by the standard volume, it is estimated that the distance between the operator and the television 10 is long. Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, the value obtained by dividing the volume of the sound from the television 10 picked up by the DV microphone 31 or SP microphone 41 by the standard volume is the sound picked up by the DV microphone 31 or SP microphone 41. If the volume of the voice from the operator is evaluated to be larger than the value obtained by dividing the volume by the standard volume, it is estimated that the distance between the operator and the television 10 is short.

For example, when the distance between the operator and the television 10 is equal to or greater than a threshold value (that is, the television 10 is far from the operator), the algorithm for determining the speaker that performs the voice response operates the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42. On the other hand, when the distance between the operator and the television 10 is less than the threshold value (that is, when the television 10 is close to the operator), the TV speaker 11 is determined as a speaker for giving voice response to the control contents instructed by the operator to the television 10 . The reason why the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42 is determined as the speaker for voice response when the television 10 is far from the operator is that the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42 is carried by the operator or is used to transmit the operator's voice. This is because it is assumed that it is located at a position that is easy to detect, and that it is at a position closer to the operator than the television 10, so that the operator can easily hear the response voice. On the other hand, when the television 10 is close to the operator, the TV speaker 11 is determined as the speaker for voice response. This is because it is easy to understand whether the instruction has been accepted.

In the server device 50 , the response control unit 53 performs control for making voice responses from the speaker determined by the determination unit 52 . That is, when the speaker determined by the determination unit 52 is the TV speaker 11, the response control unit 53 controls the TV speaker 11 via the network 2 and the set-top box 20 to perform voice response. Further, when the speaker determined by the determination unit 52 is the DV speaker 32, the response control unit 53 controls the DV speaker 32 via the network 2 and the set top box 20 to perform voice response. Further, when the speaker determined by the determination unit 52 is the SP speaker 42, the response control unit 53 controls the SP speaker 42 via the network 2 to perform voice response.

For example, if the operator's voice instruction is "change to channel 6", the voice response to this is "change to channel 6". Also, for example, when the operator's voice instruction is "Search for a quiz program", the voice response to this is "I searched for a quiz program. It's ○○ program. Do you want to change the channel?" ”. Algorithms for determining the content of these voice responses are stored in the response control unit 53, and the response control unit 53 controls output of voice response messages based on these algorithms from the determined speakers.

[motion]
Next, referring to FIG. 6, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the operator gives a desired control instruction to the television 10 by voice, this voice is picked up (inputted) by the DV microphone 21 or the SP microphone 41 . Whether the DV microphone 21 or the SP microphone 41 picks up the sound depends on the operator's explicit designation, for example, when the operator activates the audio device 30 by voice or activates the application of the smart phone 40. be decided. The collected voice data is transmitted to the server device 50 via the communication path described above, and the acquisition unit 51 of the server device 50 acquires this voice data (step S11 in FIG. 6).

When the voice data of the operator is acquired by the acquisition unit 51, the determination unit 52 selects either the TV speaker 11 (that is, the first speaker), the DV speaker 32, or the SP speaker 42 (that is, the second speaker). is determined to be the speaker that performs the voice response to the control content instructed by the operator to the television 10 using the method described above (step S12).

When the speaker is determined by the determination unit 52, the response control unit 53 uses the method described above to perform control for making a voice response from the speaker (step S13). Control content according to the operator's voice instruction is executed by the television 10 under the command of the server device 50 or the set-top box 20 .

According to the above embodiment, it is possible to switch the speaker that performs voice response to the operator's instruction according to the distance between the operator and the television. That is, when the television 10 is far from the operator, the audio device 30 or the smart phone 40, which is assumed to be closer to the operator than the television 10, responds by voice, so that the operator can hear the response voice. easier. On the other hand, when the television 10 is close to the operator, the TV speaker 11 itself responds by voice, making it easier for the operator to understand which home appliance the operator has given an instruction to and has received the instruction.

[Modification]
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The embodiment described above may be modified as follows. Also, two or more of the following modified examples may be combined for implementation.

[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the DV speaker 32 wirelessly connected to the set-top box 20 such as BLE, and the network 2 Although the SP speaker 42 connected via is exemplified, the present invention is not limited to this example. The second speaker wirelessly or wiredly connected to the set-top box 20 may be, for example, a DV speaker wirelessly connected to the set-top box 20, such as BLE, included in the smart phone 40. , a DV speaker connected to the set-top box 20 via the network 2 and the smart phone 40 . Further, when the remote controller for the television 10 is equipped with a speaker (hereinafter referred to as an RC speaker), the second speaker may be an RC speaker connected to the set-top box 20 by wireless such as BLE. good. Note that "A and B are connected via a wireless or wired connection" means that at least one of a wireless portion and a wired portion exists in the communication path through which A and B are communicatively connected. It means that there is

Note that the first speaker provided in the television 10 may be a built-in speaker of the television 10 or may be a speaker externally attached to the television 10 . Further, instead of the smart phone 40, a communication device such as a tablet or wearable device may be used.
Further, in the above embodiment, when the voice of the operator is picked up by the DV microphone 21, the voice data is transmitted to the server device 50, the voice is recognized by the server device 50, and the voice is recognized under the control of the server device 50. Although the television 10 executes the control contents according to the voice recognition result, this voice recognition may be performed by a device other than the server device 50 (for example, the set top box 20).

[Modification 2]
In the above-described embodiment, the operator's instruction to the television 10 is given by voice, but the instruction may be given by means other than the operator's voice. For example, any instruction method may be employed, such as text input by an operator, operation elements such as keys and switches, or so-called gesture input.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the determining unit 52 determines the volume of the voice from the television 10 picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 and the volume of the voice from the operator picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41. However, the direction in which the operator is present may be used in addition to the volume. In this case, the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 is a directional microphone, and the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 can specify the direction of the sound source (that is, the operator) of the collected sound. For example, when the operator is between the television 10 and the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41, even if the distance between the operator and the television 10 is estimated to be far based on the volume, the DV microphone 31 Alternatively, since the direction from the SP microphone 41 to the operator is closer to the television 10, the determination unit 52 determines the TV speaker 11 as the speaker for voice response.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the server device 50 includes the determination unit 52 and the response control unit 53, but the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and any of the devices included in the control system 1 may be the determination unit 52 or the response control unit 53. should be provided. For example, the server device 50 may include the determination unit 52 and the set top box 20 may include the response control unit 53 , or the set top box 20 may include the determination unit 52 or the response control unit 53 .

[Modification 5]
Algorithms for determining speakers that provide voice responses are not limited to examples using the volume of the voice of the television 10 and the operator as in the embodiment. For example, the attribute of the time period in which the operator's instruction is given may be used to determine the speaker that performs the voice response. In other words, the determining unit 52 determines the speaker that performs the voice response based on the time period. Specifically, when it is assumed that the operator will be watching the broadcast program of the television 10 in front of the television 10 (for example, after lunch or after dinner), the TV speaker 11 is determined as the speaker that responds. On the other hand, when it is assumed that the operator is watching television from time to time while moving from place to place (for example, during the time of housework), the DV speaker 32 and the SP speaker 42 are used as speakers for responding. It is determined. Algorithm based on such a time slot, that is, the relationship between the time slot and the speaker that performs the voice response is stored by the determination unit 52, and the above determination is made based on this relationship.

[Modification 6]
Algorithm for determining the speaker that performs the voice response is not limited to the example using the volume of the voice of the television 10 and the operator as in the embodiment. For example, based on the noise for the operator, the speaker that performs the voice response is selected. may decide. In other words, the determination unit 52 determines the speaker that performs the voice response based on the volume of the noise heard by the operator. Specifically, when the noise picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 exceeds the threshold, the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42, which is generally assumed to be near the operator, is determined as the speaker that responds. be. On the other hand, when the noise picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 is less than the threshold value, the TV speaker 11 makes it easy for the operator to understand which home appliance the instruction has been given and the instruction has been received. It is determined as the speaker to perform. Algorithm based on such noise, that is, the relationship between the loudness of noise and the loudspeaker that responds with voice is stored by the determination unit 52, and the above determination is made based on this relationship.

[Modification 7]
Algorithm for determining the speaker that performs the voice response is not limited to the example using the volume of the voice of the television 10 and the operator as in the embodiment. You may decide which speaker to do. In other words, the determination unit 52 determines the speaker that performs voice response based on the presence or absence of a person other than the operator. Specifically, the television 10, the set-top box 20, the audio device 30, or the smart phone 40 has means for detecting the presence or absence of a person other than the operator. This is, for example, detection by a human sensor or image recognition. When a person other than the operator is in the same room as the operator, the DV speaker 32 and the SP speaker 42, which are generally assumed to be near the operator, are determined as the speakers for responding. On the other hand, when a person other than the operator is not in the same room as the operator, the TV speaker 11 makes it easy for the operator to understand which home appliance the operator has given an instruction to and the instruction has been received. is determined as The algorithm based on the presence or absence of a person other than the operator, that is, the relationship between the presence or absence of a person other than the operator and the speaker that performs voice response is stored in the determination unit 52, and the above determination is made based on this relationship. .

[Modification 8]
Algorithm for determining the speaker that performs the voice response is not limited to the example using the television 10 and the volume of the voice of the operator as in the embodiment. You may decide which speaker to do. In other words, the determining unit 52 determines the speaker that performs the voice response based on the control details instructed by the operator. Specifically, if the control content instructed by the operator is control content that the operator does not want to share with others (for example, control content based on personal reasons), it is generally recommended that the The DV speaker 32 and the SP speaker 42, which are assumed to exist, are determined as the speakers that respond. On the other hand, if the control contents instructed by the operator are control contents that can be shared with others other than the operator (for example, control contents based on non-personal reasons), the operator himself/herself can The TV speaker 11 is determined as the speaker that responds by issuing an instruction to the home appliance and making it easy to understand whether the instruction has been accepted. Algorithms based on such control details, that is, the relationship between the control details instructed by the operator and the speaker that performs the voice response are stored in the determination unit 52, and the above determination is made based on this relationship.

[Modification 9]
The algorithm for determining the speaker that performs the voice response is not limited to the example using the volume of the voice of the television 10 and the operator as in the embodiment. may decide. In other words, the determination unit 52 determines the speaker that performs voice response based on the content of the program being output by the television 10 . If the contents of the program output by the television 10 should not be known to others other than the operator, the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42, which is generally assumed to be near the operator, is determined as the speaker for responding. be done. On the other hand, when the contents of the program may be known to others other than the operator, the TV speaker 11 makes it easy for the operator to understand to which home appliance the instruction has been given and the instruction has been received. It is determined as the speaker to perform. Algorithms based on such program content, that is, the relationship between the program content and the speaker that performs voice response are stored in the determination unit 52, and the above determination is made based on this relationship.

[Modification 10]
Algorithm for determining the speaker that performs voice response is not limited to the example using the television 10 and the volume of the operator's voice as in the embodiment. For example, based on the speech rate of the operator, the speaker that performs voice response is selected. may decide. In other words, the determining unit 52 determines the speaker that performs the voice response based on the voice utterance speed of the operator. Specifically, when the speech rate of the operator picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 exceeds the threshold, the DV speaker 32 or the SP speaker 42, which is generally assumed to be near the operator, responds. Determined as a speaker. If the speech rate exceeds the threshold, it is assumed that the operator is busy doing other work such as housework, so the DV speaker 32 or SP speaker 42 that is assumed to be near the operator responds. is preferable. On the other hand, when the speech rate of the operator picked up by the DV microphone 31 or the SP microphone 41 is less than the threshold, the TV speaker makes it easy for the operator to understand which home appliance the operator himself has instructed and the instruction has been received. 11 is determined as the speaker that responds. If the speech rate is less than the threshold, it is assumed that the operator is watching the television 10 in a relaxed manner, so it is desirable that the TV speaker 11 of the television 10 that the operator is watching responds. Algorithm based on such a speech rate, that is, the relationship between the speech rate and the speaker that performs the voice response is stored by the determination unit 52, and the above determination is made based on this relationship.

[Other Modifications]
The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show blocks in functional units. These functional blocks (components) are implemented by any combination of hardware and/or software. Further, means for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be implemented by one device physically and/or logically coupled, or may be implemented by two or more physically and/or logically separated devices directly and/or indirectly. These multiple devices may be physically connected (eg, wired and/or wirelessly).

Aspects/embodiments described herein support Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G, 5G, Future Radio Access (FRA), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), It may be applied to systems utilizing Bluetooth®, other suitable systems, and/or advanced next generation systems based thereon.

The procedures, sequences, flow charts, etc. of each aspect/embodiment described herein may be interchanged so long as there is no inconsistency. For example, the methods described herein present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not limited to the specific order presented.
Each aspect/embodiment described herein may be used alone, in combination, or switched between implementations. In addition, the notification of predetermined information (for example, notification of “being X”) is not limited to being performed explicitly, but may be performed implicitly (for example, not notifying the predetermined information). good too.

As used herein, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

The information, parameters, etc. described in this specification may be represented by absolute values, relative values from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. The names used for the parameters described above are not limiting in any way. Further, the formulas, etc. using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining", "determining" means, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., table , searching in a database or other data structure), ascertaining as "determining" or "determining". Also, “judgment” and “decision” are used for receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., transmitting information), input, output, and access. (accessing) (for example, accessing data in memory) may include deeming that something has been "determined" or "determined". In addition, "judgement" and "decision" are considered to be "judgment" and "decision" by resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. can contain. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" may include considering that some action is "judgment" and "decision".

The present invention may be provided as an information processing method including processing steps performed in the control system 1 or the server device 50 . Moreover, the present invention may be provided as a program executed in the server device 50 . Such a program may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disc, or may be provided in a form in which the program is downloaded to a computer via a network such as the Internet, installed, and made available. It is possible.

Software, instructions, etc. may be transmitted and received over a transmission medium. For example, the software can be used to access websites, servers, or other When transmitted from a remote source, these wired and/or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

Information, signals, etc. described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may refer to voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or photons, or any of these. may be represented by a combination of

Terms described herein and/or terms necessary for understanding the specification may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meaning.

Any reference to elements using the "first," "second," etc. designations used herein does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, reference to a first and second element does not imply that only two elements can be employed therein, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

To the extent that "including," "comprising," and variations thereof are used herein or in the claims, these terms, as well as the term "comprising," are inclusive. intended to be Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this specification or the claims is not intended to be an exclusive OR.

Throughout this disclosure, where articles have been added by translation, e.g., a, an, and the in English, these articles are used unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It shall include plural things.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present invention can be embodied in modified and determined aspects without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, the descriptions herein are for the purpose of illustration and description, and are not intended to have any limiting meaning with respect to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Control system, 2... Network, 10... Television receiver, 11... TV speaker, 20... Set-top box, 30... Audio device, 31... DV microphone, 32... DV speaker, 40... Smart phone, 41... SP Microphone 42 SP speaker 4001 Processor 4002 Memory 4003 Storage 4004 Smartphone 4005 Input device 4006 Output device 50 Server device 51 Acquisition unit 52 Determination unit 53 ... response control unit, 5001 ... processor, 5002 ... memory, 5003 ... storage, 5004 ... communication device, 5005 ... input device, 5006 ... output device.

Claims (4)

Connected wirelessly or by wire to a first speaker included in a television receiver, or to a control device that converts a broadcast signal into a signal that can be viewed by the television receiver and controls the television receiver a determination unit that determines one of the second speakers as a speaker that performs voice response to the control content instructed by the operator to the television receiver;
A response control unit that performs control for performing the voice response from the speaker determined by the determination unit ,
The decision unit decides the speaker that performs the voice response based on the presence or absence of a person other than the operator.
A control system characterized by : A first speaker provided in a television receiver, or a broadcast signal is received by the television
wireless or wired to the control device that converts it into a signal that can be viewed by the television receiver and controls the television receiver.
Any of the second speakers connected via a line is connected from the operator to the television receiver.
A decision unit that decides a speaker that performs voice response to the control content instructed to;
a response control for controlling the voice response from the speaker determined by the determination unit;
Equipped with the Lord,
The determining unit performs the voice response based on the control content instructed by the operator.
A control system characterized by determining a peaker . A first speaker provided in a television receiver, or a broadcast signal is received by the television
wireless or wired to the control device that converts it into a signal that can be viewed by the television receiver and controls the television receiver.
Any of the second speakers connected via a line is connected from the operator to the television receiver.
A decision unit that decides a speaker that performs voice response to the control content instructed to;
a response control for controlling the voice response from the speaker determined by the determination unit;
Equipped with the Lord,
The determination unit, based on the content of the program being output by the television receiver,
A control system that determines a speaker that performs the voice response . A first speaker provided in a television receiver, or a broadcast signal is received by the television
wireless or wired to the control device that converts it into a signal that can be viewed by the television receiver and controls the television receiver.
Any of the second speakers connected via a line is connected from the operator to the television receiver.
A decision unit that decides a speaker that performs voice response to the control content instructed to;
a response control for controlling the voice response from the speaker determined by the determination unit;
Equipped with the Lord,
The determination unit includes a speaker that performs the voice response based on the speed of voice utterance by the operator.
A control system characterized by determining

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