FR2812440A1 - INTERACTIVE DEVICE FOR PUBLIC PLACE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a voice-operated interactive device installed in a public site and comprising a central electronic unit connected to a microphone (6) for public use and further including a ground mark to guide the user (8) so that he is in a predetermined position (7) relative to the interactive device so as to optimise voice recognition.

Description

i

  INTERACTIVE DEVICE FOR PUBLIC PLACE.

  The present invention relates to interactive devices for public places, in particular information terminals for general or advertising information purposes, terminals for issuing transport tickets, terminals for issuing bicycles or other self-service vehicles, etc. More particularly, the invention relates to an interactive device installed at a fixed station in a public place and comprising a connected electronic central unit

  at least one input interface usable by the public.

  In known devices of this type, the input interface is generally constituted by a keyboard, which can however prove difficult to handle by the user and, where appropriate, sensitive to damage.

voluntary or involuntary.

  The present invention aims in particular to overcome these drawbacks, by proposing an interactive device of the kind in question which has an input interface which can be easily used by the public and the least

  susceptible to damage.

  To this end, according to the invention, an interactive device of the type in question is characterized in that the input interface comprises at least one microphone connected to the electronic central unit, which comprises voice recognition means adapted to allow to a user to control the interactive device by voice, and in that the device also comprises positioning means adapted to guide the user so that he places himself in a predetermined position relative to the interactive device in order to optimize the

speech Recognition.

  Thanks to voice control, the interactive device is easy to use and does not oblige the public to use a keyboard, although this possibility can if necessary be left to users who wish to use it, in addition to voice control . In addition, the positioning means make it possible to obtain good speech recognition performance despite the generally very unfavorable sound environment (street, station or airport hall, etc.) in which the

interactive device.

  In preferred embodiments, it is possible, where appropriate, to have recourse to one and / or the other of the following arrangements: the positioning means comprise a marking on the ground corresponding to said predetermined position of the user ; the positioning means comprise a remote tracking device adapted to determine the position of a user located in the vicinity of the interactive device and an output interface adapted to transmit to the user at least one guidance message to guide this user to said predetermined position, the remote tracking device and the output interface being connected to the central unit, which central unit is adapted to generate said guidance message as a function of data coming from the remote tracking device; the device comprising at least one control device connected to the central unit and adapted to determine whether or not the user is in said predetermined position, the central unit being adapted to prevent normal operation of the interactive device as long as the control device has not determined that the user is in said predetermined position; - The control device comprises at least one presence sensor adapted to determine whether the user is in said predetermined position; - the presence sensor is a remote tracking device; the presence sensor is a weight-sensitive sensor which is placed on the ground in said predetermined position; the interactive device also comprises at least one output interface, the control device being adapted to switch the interactive device from a rest state where said output interface is deactivated to an active state where said output interface is activated when the control device detects the presence of the user at said predetermined position; the central unit is adapted to transmit at least one welcome message via the output interface

  when the interactive device enters the active state.

  Other features and benefits of

  the invention will appear during the description

  following of several of its embodiments, given by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: - Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an interactive device according to an embodiment of the invention, - and Figure 2 is a block diagram of the device

Figure 1 interactive.

  In the two figures, the same references

  denote identical or similar elements.

  FIG. 1 represents an interactive terminal 1 intended for example to inform the users of a bus network on the routes and the updated timetables of the buses, for example by taking account of the conditions

  actual traffic of these buses.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to this particular example, and would apply to any other interactive device, whether or not in the form of a terminal, and adapted to be controlled by a user who wishes to have information on means of public transport or any other service, tourist information, municipal information, etc. The interactive device 1 could also be adapted to issue public transport tickets, or to access bicycles or other free vehicles

service, subject to payment or not.

  In the example shown in Figure 1, the information terminal 1 is in the form of a vertical rigid trunk 2 in the form of a post fixed to the ground 3 in a public place such as a street, a station hall or airport,

Or other.

  This trunk 2 has on its front face, a screen 4, one or more speakers 5 and one or more

microphones 6.

  In addition, a location 7 is identified by a floor marking 7a such as a line or the like in front of the

interactive terminal 1.

  When a user 8 positions himself on location 7, his mouth 9 is thus at a distance D from the microphone 6 and is aligned with this microphone in a direction X: although the distance D and the direction X vary somewhat according to the exact position of the user within location 7 and depending on the size of the user, this distance D and this direction X are close to an optimal distance DO and an optimal direction X0 which allow the microphone 6 to optimally capture the words of the user 8. Preferably, the microphone 6 will be of a relatively directive model, so as to capture as little as possible the background noise which can be particularly important in

public places.

  If necessary, several microphones 6 can be used which will be positioned or whose output signals will be processed, in a manner known per se, to essentially pick up the sounds emitted by the mouth 9 of the user 8 when the latter is positioned at

location 7.

  Furthermore, the front face of the interactive terminal 1 can optionally include a digital camera 10 or possibly a rangefinder (infrared or

  other) the usefulness of which will be seen below.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the interactive terminal 1 also contains an electronic central unit 11 (CPU) which may in particular include a microprocessor and which controls the operation of the entire terminal. This electronic central unit 11 is connected: - to a memory 12 (M) which contains in particular the information to be communicated to the user 8, - to the screen 4, - to the loudspeaker 5, - to the microphone 6, - to the digital camera or infrared range finder 10, - where appropriate, to a weight sensor 13 (SENS.) integrated into the ground 3 at location 7 and sensitive to the weight of the user 8, this sensor 13 possibly being able to be used as a replacement for the digital camera or range finder 10, and if necessary, for a radio receiver 14 (REC.) adapted to receive update information from memory 12, this radio receiver can be replaced by

any other means of communication.

  The interactive terminal 1 which has just been described

works as follows.

  Normally, this interactive terminal is in a resting state where the screen 4, the loudspeaker 5 and the microphone 6 are deactivated, only the digital camera 10 (or if necessary the infrared rangefinder replacing this

remaining active.

  In this idle state, the screen 4 can optionally broadcast images and / or messages a program operating in a loop or randomly, or even display a message which indicates that a user 8 wishing to use the interactive terminal must position yourself at location 7. Such a message can possibly also be permanently written on the safe 2 of the terminal

  interactive or on the ground 3, in particular at location 7.

  When a user 8 approaches the interactive terminal 1, the digital camera 10 can determine the position of this user in space, as a function, on the one hand, of the position of the image of this user in his field of vision , and on the other hand, the distance of this user, determined as a function of the focusing of said camera to obtain a non-blurred image, or where appropriate as a function of a measurement carried out by a

  infrared range finder or other integrated into said camera.

  Optionally, when the camera 10 identifies that the user 8 is near the location 7, the central unit 11 can cause an audible message to be emitted by the speaker 5 and / or a visual message by the screen 4 , to guide the user 8 to location 7 (in this embodiment, it will be noted that, if necessary, it would be possible to remove the ground marking 7a, in which case user 8 would be guided to the location 7 only by the messages broadcast by the interactive terminal 1 when said user has been located at

  proximity of said terminal by the camera 10).

  As a variant, it is also possible to provide that the interactive terminal 1 does not broadcast any message while

  that user 8 is not positioned in location 7.

  When the user 8 is positioned at the location 7, the central unit 11 plays a welcome message via the screen 4 and / or the loudspeaker 5 and the interactive terminal 1 is then controlled by the user 8 by voice, thanks to an integrated 7 voice recognition module lla (software and / or hardware)

to the central unit 11.

  As indicated previously, the digital camera 10 could be replaced either by an infrared rangefinder, or by the weight sensor 13 integrated into the ground at location 7. The detection of the presence of a

  user 8 at location 7 by this sensor 13 then triggers the passage of terminal 1 to the active state.

Claims (9)

  1. Interactive device (1) installed at a fixed post in a public place (3) and comprising an electronic central unit (11) connected to at least one input interface (6) usable by the public, characterized in that input interface comprises at least one microphone (6) connected to the electronic central unit (11), which comprises means (11a) of voice recognition adapted to allow a user (8) to control the interactive device by voice , and in that the device also comprises positioning means (7a, 10) adapted to guide the user (8) so that he places himself in a predetermined position (7) relative to the interactive device in order to optimize voice recognition.   2. Device according to claim 1, in which the positioning means comprise a ground marking (7a) corresponding to said predetermined position of the user (8).   3. Device according to claim 1, in which the positioning means comprise a remote tracking device (10) adapted to determine the position of a user (8) located in the vicinity of the interactive device and an output interface (4, 5) adapted to transmit to the user (8) at least one guidance message to guide this user to said predetermined position, the remote tracking device (10) and the output interface (4, 5) being connected to the central unit (11), which central unit is adapted to generate said guidance message as a function of data   from the remote tracking device (10).   4. Device according to any one of   previous claims, comprising at least one   control device (10; 13) connected to the central unit (11) and adapted to determine whether or not the user (8) is in said predetermined position (7), the central unit (11) being adapted for prevent normal operation of the interactive device until the control device has determined that the user   (8) is in said predetermined position.   5. Device according to claim 4, in which the control device comprises at least one presence sensor (10; 13) adapted to determine whether the user   (8) is in said predetermined position (7).   6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the presence sensor is a tracking device to distance (10).   7. Device according to claim 5, in which the presence sensor (13) is a weight-sensitive sensor which is arranged on the ground in said position. predetermined (7).   8. Device according to any one of   claims 4 to 7, further comprising at least one   output interface (4, 5), the control device (10; 13) being adapted to switch the interactive device from a rest state o said output interface (4, 5) is deactivated to an active state o said output interface (4, 5) is activated when the control device detects the presence of the user (8) at said position predetermined (7).   9. Device according to claim 8, in which the central unit (11) is adapted to cause the output interface (4, 5) to transmit at least one welcome message.   when the interactive device enters the active state.