JP2000349920A - Intention transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an intention transmitter for people, with which smoother and more intimate communication of intention can be attained by utilizing body gesture, on the basis of common share of a conversation rhythm. SOLUTION: This intention transmitter consists of a voice transmission reception section 9, a common use robot 2, a listener control section 4, a talker control section 3. The voice transmission reception section 9 transits/receives a voice signal such as conversation, the common use robot 2 behaves a head nodding, a mouth opening a winding, or a gesture in response to the voice signal, the hearer control section 4 decides the behavior of the common use robot 2 as a listener from the voice signal sent through the transmission reception section 9 to activate the common use robot 2, then the talker control section 3 decides the behavior of the common use robot 2 as a talker from the voice signal received by the transmission reception section 9 to activate the common use robot 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device in which the roles of a speaker and a listener are exchanged, and interpersonal communication is continued, for example, a conversation through a telephone becomes smoother or more intimate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Interpersonal conversations in which the roles of a speaker and a listener are continued with each other being performed in a face-to-face manner or when only voice is performed without seeing each other,
For example, there is a conversation through a telephone. If the conversation is intended to communicate with each other, the communication can be conveyed in words, so that the conversation through the telephone can be regarded as a necessary and sufficient conversation. In the modern era, telephones have become widespread as an essential means of communication. However, on the other hand, there is a fact that much of the external information obtained by humans is visual, and telephones using only voice are insufficient.In recent years, telephones that can visualize the other party, so-called video telephones, have been proposed. . 2. Description of the Related Art A video telephone is a telephone that receives a figure of a partner together with a sound signal by a video signal and projects the partner on an image display device, and has already been put to practical use and used.

[0003] The image of the videophone is, of course, a plane, and the appearance of the other party can be recognized. However, the user cannot feel that he or she is facing the other party as in ordinary conversation. Therefore,
As a means to enhance the feeling of conversation, a telephone equipped with a robot that moves in response to voice signals, the "telephone notification device" (Tokuhei 06-
No. 034489) has been proposed. This "telephone notification device"
By driving a motor with an audio signal as an input and opening and closing the eyes (eyelids) or mouth, it gives the impression that the robot is talking and enhances the feeling of conversation. The robot does not necessarily open and close the eyes (eyelids) or mouth in an appropriate correspondence with the voice, but unlike a planar image, the impression that the robot gives as if the robot is talking in the same space as the listener is more conversative. It creates an easy atmosphere.

[0004]

The communication by conversation is performed not only by voice but also by recognizing various behaviors such as a nodding operation of a head, an opening / closing operation of a mouth, a blinking operation of an eye, and a gesturing operation of a body. By sharing the rhythm of the conversation and drawing each other into their own talk (this is called a physical entrainment phenomenon or simply entrainment phenomenon), they become smoother or more intimate. Tokiko using the above robot
No. 489, "Telephone notification device" adds motion to the robot in hopes of the occurrence of the pull-in phenomenon. However, the opening and closing of the eyes (eyelids) or mouth obtained by driving the motor with a voice signal as an input is an operation unrelated to the rhythm of conversation, so the pull-in phenomenon does not appear, and it is difficult to expect smooth or intimate communication. There is.

[0005] The "telephone notification device" disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-034489 gives the impression that a robot is speaking on behalf of a speaker. That is, it does not respond to the speaker's story. Therefore, when the "telephone notification device" is used as a speaker, there is no difference from the conventional telephone. In this case, the pull-in phenomenon is unlikely, and the "telephone notification device" of Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-034489 is not out of the range of a three-dimensional video telephone. Therefore, telephones that can achieve smoother or more intimate communication by utilizing the pull-in phenomenon, and furthermore, not only telephones, but also interpersonal communication devices in which roles of a speaker and a listener can be continued while being replaced. We considered to build.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As a result of the examination, what has been developed is composed of a voice transmitting / receiving unit, a listener robot and a listener controller, or a speaker robot and a speaker controller. The listener robot or the talker robot responds to this voice signal by performing a nodding operation of the head, an opening and closing operation of the mouth, a blinking of the eyes, or a gesture of the body in response to the voice signal. The behavior of the listener robot is determined based on the transmitted voice signal, and the listener robot is operated. The speaker control unit determines the behavior of the speaker robot based on the voice signal received by the receiver and operates the speaker robot.
(Individual robot type).

This communication device (individual robot type) is provided, for example, with a listener robot or a talker robot attached to a telephone, receiving a voice (voice signal) speaking toward a receiver, operating the listener robot, or receiving a voice. Activate the speaker robot in response to the (voice signal). The listener robot receives the voice of the speaker as a speaker, and behaves as if the other party is listening in front of him. As a result, the rhythm of the pseudo conversation is shared between the person and the listener robot, and the phenomenon of the person being drawn into the listener robot appears, thereby creating an atmosphere in which the person can easily talk. The speaker robot receives the voice of the other party as the speaker received through the telephone line, and behaves as if the other party is talking at hand. As a result, sharing of the rhythm of the conversation between the person and the partner through the speaker robot is realized, and the phenomenon of the person being drawn into the partner is expressed, thereby enhancing the feeling of the conversation.

[0008] The individual robot type assigns an individual robot to a speaker or a listener. However, a robot that is both a speaker and a listener is desirable in order to produce a state closer to an actual conversation. Therefore, a voice transmitting and receiving unit,
The shared robot is composed of a shared robot, a listener control unit and a talker control unit, and the voice transmitting / receiving unit transmits and receives voice signals such as conversations. The shared robot responds to the voice signal, nodding the head, opening and closing the mouth, and controlling the eyes. Blinking or body gesture behavior, the listener control unit determines the behavior of the shared robot as a listener from the audio signal transmitted through the transmission unit, activates this shared robot, and the speaker control unit receives The behavior of the shared robot as a speaker was determined from the voice signal received by the section, and a communication device (robot shared type) for operating this shared robot was developed.

[0009] A shared robot is a person's voice as a speaker
In response to the (voice signal), it behaves as if the other party is listening in front of you. In addition, it receives the voice (voice signal) of the other party as a speaker received through the telephone line, and behaves as if the other party is talking at hand. In this way, sharing of the rhythm of the conversation with the shared robot is realized, and a pull-in phenomenon is mediated by the shared robot, thereby enhancing the feeling of the conversation.

The individual robot type and the shared type use a robot that exhibits a three-dimensional behavior, but the rhythm of conversation can be shared by a plane moving image. Therefore, a voice transmission / reception unit and a listener display unit and a listener control unit, or a speaker display unit and a speaker control unit are configured, and the voice transmission / reception unit transmits and receives a voice signal such as a conversation. Displaying a pseudo-listener or a pseudo-speaker on a listener display or a speaker display which behaves in a nodding operation of a head, an opening / closing operation of a mouth, a blinking operation of an eye, or a gesture operation of a body in response to a voice signal, and a listener control unit Determines the behavior of the pseudo-listener from the audio signal transmitted through the transmission unit, moves the pseudo-listener displayed on the listener display unit, and the speaker control unit determines the behavior of the pseudo-listener from the audio signal received by the reception unit. We developed a communication device (individual image type) for moving the pseudo speaker displayed on the speaker display unit.

In the individual image type, for example, a listener display unit or a speaker display unit is attached to a telephone so that a pseudo-listener that receives a voice (voice signal) spoken toward a receiver and displays it on the listener display unit can be moved. Upon receiving the voice (voice signal), the pseudo speaker to be displayed on the speaker display is moved. here,
The pseudo listener or the pseudo speaker is a pseudo personality model imitating a human, and uses animation or CG. Opponent's voice
The male model and the female model may be displayed separately according to the frequency domain of the (voice signal). The pseudo-listener receives the voice of the speaker as a speaker, and moves as if the other party is listening in front of him. As a result, a phenomenon in which the person himself / herself is drawn into the pseudo listener is developed, and an atmosphere in which the person himself / herself can easily speak is created. The pseudo speaker receives the voice of the other party as the speaker received through the telephone line, and moves as if the other party is talking at hand. As a result, sharing of the rhythm of conversation between the person and the partner through the pseudo speaker is realized, and the person's attraction to the partner is expressed,
Improve the conversation.

In a communication device using a plane moving image, if a pseudo speaker and a pseudo listener can be individually displayed in the same space, the visual effect of sharing the space gives a sense of having a face-to-face conversation. Therefore, it is composed of a voice transmitting and receiving unit, a common display unit, a listener control unit and a talker control unit, and the voice transmitting and receiving unit transmits and receives voice signals such as conversations. The pseudo-speaker and the pseudo-listener who perform the nodding operation, the opening and closing operation of the mouth, the blinking of the eyes, or the gesture of the body are individually displayed in the same space, and the listener control unit simulates from the voice signal transmitted through the transmission unit. The behavior of the pseudo-listener is determined and the pseudo-listener displayed on the shared display unit is moved, and the speaker control unit determines the behavior of the pseudo-speaker from the audio signal received by the reception unit and displays the pseudo speaker displayed on the shared display unit. Communication device to move
(Image sharing type) was developed.

The shared display unit creates a feeling of talking while sharing the space with the other party in the virtual space in the shared display unit by individually displaying the pseudo speaker and the pseudo listener in the same space (same screen). . In this way, the sharing of the rhythm of the conversation through the simulated speaker and the simulated listener is realized, and a mutual entrainment phenomenon is developed between the person and the partner, thereby enhancing the feeling of the conversation. In this case, there are various display modes for the pseudo listener and the pseudo speaker on the shared display unit. For example, a simulated listener and a simulated speaker of the same size may be arranged side by side in a face-to-face relationship. Preferably, the dummy listener and the dummy speaker are arranged in the depth direction, with the dummy listener facing the depth direction and the dummy speaker facing the near side.

In each of the communication devices described above, the rhythm of the conversation between the person and the other party is shared by the speaker or the listener represented by the robot or the pseudo-personal character, so that the phenomenon of being attracted to each other is exhibited, and a smoother or more intimate communication is achieved. Realize the conversation. For this reason, a method of controlling the behavior of a speaker robot, a listener robot, a shared robot as a speaker, a shared robot as a listener, a pseudo-speaker, or a pseudo-listener (hereinafter referred to as a talker robot) becomes important. In the present invention, the behavior of the speaker robot or the like includes a selective combination of a head nodding operation, a mouth opening / closing operation, a blinking eye operation, or a body gesturing operation.
The time at which the predicted value of the nod estimated from the FF exceeds a predetermined nod threshold, the time of the blinking operation is the time at which the exponential distribution is performed over time starting from the time of the nodding operation, and the opening and closing operation of the mouth is performed based on the audio signal. According to the change, the gesture of the body follows the change of the audio signal, or the timing of the gesture of the body is the time when the predicted value of the nod estimated from ON / OFF of the audio signal exceeds a predetermined gesture threshold.

[0015] The selective combination of the behavior of the speaker robot and the like is free. For example, in the case of the behavior as a speaker, since the nodding operation is unnatural, the head is not moved at the nodding operation timing, and only the blinking of the eyes based on the nodding operation timing is attempted. In the body gesture operation, in the algorithm for obtaining the nod operation timing, the gesture operation timing is obtained using a gesture threshold value lower than the nod threshold value. In addition, the gesture motion may drive a movable part according to a change in the audio signal, select a movable part of the body according to the audio signal, or select a predetermined operation pattern (combination of the movable part and the amount of operation of each part). . Selection of a movable part or a motion pattern in the gesture motion makes the connection between the nod motion and the gesture motion natural. As described above, in the present invention, the behavior of the talker robot or the like is aimed at focusing on the nodding motion except for the opening / closing operation of the mouth.

Here, the nodding operation timing is a prediction model obtained by linearly or non-linearly combining the voice signal and the nodding operation, for example, a nod prediction value (head moving forward and backward) obtained from an MA model or a neural network model. The predicted value of the nod, and also the general predicted value of the head for other head movements) are determined by an algorithm for comparison with a predetermined nod threshold. This algorithm captures an audio signal as ON / OFF of an electric signal over time, and derives a nodding operation timing and a gesture operation timing from the ON / OFF of the electric signal over time. ON / O for simple electric signals
Since it is based on FF, the amount of calculation is small, and responsiveness is not lost even if a relatively inexpensive personal computer is used for each control unit. The ON / OFF of the electric signal is attributable to the rhythm of the conversation, and has an advantage that the pull-in phenomenon easily occurs. From the standpoint of remarks about the pull-in phenomenon,
In addition to the ON / OFF, prosody and intonation indicating a change in the electric signal over time may be considered together.

Each communication device described in the present invention processes a voice signal in each device to move a robot or a simulated personality, and the actual transmission and reception is based on the voice signal. For this reason, it is also possible to connect between different communication devices, for example, a robot individual type and a robot shared type, a robot individual type listener model and a robot individual type speaker model, and a robot shared type and a video sharing type. is there. Also,
If the voice signal can be handled, the effects of the present invention can be obtained, so that the present invention can be used for voicemail message playback. Furthermore, speech synthesis can be performed from a document (data signal) sent by fax, letter, or e-mail to create an atmosphere in which the other party is speaking to the person. In other words, in each of the communication devices described above, a data transmission / reception unit and a data conversion unit are used instead of the voice transmission / reception unit. The data transmission / reception unit transmits / receives data signals such as documents, and the data conversion unit transmits / receives the data signals. An audio signal is synthesized from the obtained data signal, and this audio signal is supplied to a talker control unit or a listener control unit. The present invention turns on the audio signal over time to turn on the electrical signal.
Since it is regarded as / OFF and the nodding operation timing is derived, it is easy to obtain appropriate behavior even with a synthesized voice (voice signal), and it is possible to share the rhythm of conversation and to exhibit a pull-in phenomenon.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example in which a robot shared type communication device 1 in which the present invention is applied to a telephone is connected, FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a shared robot 2 used in the device, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a control flow in the listener control unit 4. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The communication device of the present invention is more suitable for facilitating or intimate conversation between humans who cannot see each other than humans facing each other. In the following, a case where the present invention is mainly applied to a telephone will be described as an example.

The communication device 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a shared robot 2 acting as a speaker or a listener, a speaker controller 3, a listener controller 4, and a voice transmitting / receiving unit 9. Of these, each of the control units 3 and 4 and the voice transmitting / receiving unit 9
The computer may be integrally formed, or a conventional telephone may be added as the voice transmitting / receiving unit 9 and the control units 3 and 4 may be separately added by a computer. If only one of the control units 3 and 4 is provided, or if the control units 3 and 4 can be individually deactivated, the robot-individual speaker model intention communication device 6 including only the speaker control unit 3 and the speaker robot 5 can be used. (See FIG. 5 below), a robot-individual listener model intention communication device 8 (see FIG. 6 shown later) consisting only of the listener control unit 4 and the listener robot 7.

The broken line in FIG. 1 corresponds to the communication device 1 of the present invention, and the function of the telephone as in the prior art is performed by the voice transmitting / receiving unit 9. The voice (voice signal) of the person (left in FIG. 1) is transmitted from the receiver to the other party
The voice (voice signal) (right in FIG. 1) is input to the listener control unit 4 and the talker control unit 3 through a telephone line. Here, if the input voice signal is the voice of the person (voice signal), the listener control unit 4 operates, and the shared robot 2 behaves as a listener robot. Also, if the voice signal is the voice of the other party (voice signal),
The talker control unit 3 works, and the shared robot 2 behaves as a talker robot. The shared robot 2 in this example is
As can be seen in FIG. 2, only the upper body, head (neck) 10, arm 1
1. The waist 12 moves, and the eyes (eyelids) 13 and the mouth 14 open and close. An air cylinder, a motor, or the like (not shown) can be appropriately used as a drive source of each unit, and the listener control unit 4 or the talker control unit 3 controls these drive sources.

The control of the shared robot 2 as a speaker is as follows.
It follows the control flow shown in FIG. The voice (voice signal) of the other party sent to the transmission / reception unit 9 via the telephone line is sent to the person himself / herself via the receiver and also sent to the talker control unit 3. The feature of the present invention is that audio signals are converted into time-series electrical signals.
It is regarded as ON / OFF, and the nod operation timing is determined from ON / OFF of the electric signal, and each part 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 1 of the robot 2 is determined.
3 and 14 (see FIG. 2). For this purpose, the nod operation timing is first estimated from the audio signal (nod estimation). In this example, the nodding motion is widely regarded as a head motion, and the MA model is used as a prediction model that linearly combines the voice signal and the nodding motion. In this nod estimation, a nod prediction value that changes every moment based on an audio signal that changes with time (in this example, it is considered as a head movement,
In particular, it can also be called a head prediction) is calculated in real time. Here, the predicted nod value is compared with a preset nod threshold, and when the predicted nod value exceeds the nod threshold, the nod operation timing is set, and the movement of the head 10 is operated according to a change in the voice signal to move the head 10. (See FIG. 2).

The robot 2 as a speaker does not execute the nodding operation because it is unnatural, and uses the obtained nodding operation timing for the blinking operation of the eye 13. Specifically, the first blink operation timing is set at the same time as the nod operation timing obtained first, and thereafter, the first blink operation timing
Starting from (= first nodding operation timing), blinking operation timings of the next and subsequent times, which are exponentially distributed with time, are obtained.
As described above, by using the control algorithm independent of the nodding operation of the head 10 while using the nodding operation of the head 10 as a reference, a natural blinking operation can be realized. The opening and closing operation of the mouth 14
This is realized by driving an air cylinder or a motor that receives an audio signal.

The gesture operation basically uses the same algorithm as the nod estimation, but uses the gesture threshold lower than the nod threshold to execute the gesture more frequently than the nod operation. In addition, in this example, a plurality of motion patterns in which the movable parts of the body parts such as the arms 11 and the waist 12 are combined are prepared in advance, and the motion pattern is selected from the plurality of motion patterns for each gesture motion timing. Running. Further, with regard to the arm 11, it is preferable to operate the movable part of the arm 11 in accordance with a change in the audio signal, since it is possible to add strength to the gesture motion. Such a selection of the motion pattern makes the gesture look natural. In addition, a movable part may be selected and operated individually or in cooperation. Furthermore, it is also conceivable to control the gesturing operation by giving a meaning to words by analyzing the language of the voice signal.

The control of the shared robot 2 as a listener is as follows.
It follows the control flow shown in FIG. The person's voice (voice signal) sent to the transmission / reception unit via the receiver is sent to the transmission / reception unit 9 of the communication device 1 of the other party via the telephone line, and is sent to the receiver (not shown) and the listener control unit 4 of the other party, respectively. Branch. Basically, the control flow is the same as the control flow in the speaker control unit 3, but the listener control unit 4 executes the necessary nodding operation of the head 10 in order to share the rhythm of the conversation and develop the entrainment phenomenon. Mouth that behaves unnaturally
The opening and closing operation of 14 is not performed. Since the behavior is considered to be different even for the same voice signal between the speaker and the listener, the nodding threshold and the gesture threshold in each of the control units 3 and 4 may have different numerical values. In consideration of the cost of the apparatus, the speaker control unit 3 and the listener control unit 4 may be shared, and the control flow may be internally used according to the distinction of the input of the audio signal.

The example shown in FIG. 1 is based on the assumption that the other party located on the right in FIG. 1 is the speaker and the person located on the left in FIG. 1 is the listener. The robot shared type communication device 1 including the shared robot 2, the speaker control unit 3, the listener control unit 4, and the voice transmission / reception unit 9 is arranged in a symmetrical structure as is clear from FIG. When the other party becomes the listener, the flow of the audio signal (arrow in FIG. 1) is reversed. In this example, since the speaker and the listener are switched using the shared robot 2, when the person and the other party start talking at the same time, the speaker controller 3 and the listener controller 4 may be operated at the same time. In this case, which control flow has priority may be determined in advance.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a communication device 6 of a robot individual type speaker model, and FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a communication device 7 of a robot individual type listener model. The present invention
An object of the present invention is to realize a smooth or intimate conversation by sharing conversation rhythms so that conversation parties express a phenomenon of being attracted to each other. This is most achieved by using a shared robot that is a speaker or a listener. However, even a speaker robot or a listener robot alone can exhibit a pull-in phenomenon and realize a more realistic conversation. When only the talker robot 5 is used (FIG. 5), the sense of listening to the talk is brought in front of the talker, and the talker robot 5 is used as a medium to draw the person into the talker. In addition, when only the listener robot 7 is used (FIG. 6), the person himself / herself creates a conversation rhythm by considering the listener robot 7 as a partner, and can speak easily (a story easy to put on the conversation rhythm). .

The communication device of the present invention can be constructed without being limited to the above-described respective systems using a robot.
Various applications are also conceivable. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of an example in which the image sharing type communication devices 15 and 15 are connected to each other. FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of an example in which the robot sharing type communication device 1 and the image sharing type communication device 15 are connected. Is a block diagram of an example in which the personal communication device 6 of the individual robot model is applied to a personal computer that transmits and receives a data signal such as an electronic mail instead of a voice signal. FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example in which the communication device 8 of the robot individual type listener model is applied as a voice input device.

In the example of FIG. 7, the shared robot is replaced with the shared display unit 16 in the communication device of FIG. 1, and the control flow of the speaker or the listener is the same. In the shared display section 16 on the principal side, the principal is directed toward the depth direction (the back is reflected on the screen), the opponent is directed toward the depth side toward the front (the screen is facing the front), and both are the same. It is displayed on the screen. In this example, in order to further express the sense of depth, the person located in front is displayed large, and the partner located in the back is displayed small. In the shared display unit 16 on the other side, the display relationship is reversed. In the case of an image individual communication device, a pseudo personality (a pseudo speaker or a pseudo listener) imitating the other party is displayed in a single display,
Turn to the front. The speaker control unit 3 or the listener control unit 4
In accordance with the above-described control flow, a pseudo personality imitating the person or the partner displayed as an animation is moved. Shared display 16
Is a virtual conversation sharing space formed by using a monitor or a liquid crystal display, in which the person or the partner shares the rhythm of the conversation by looking at each of the shared display sections 16 and causes a pull-in phenomenon. This is different from a videophone that simply displays the other party.

Each example is an application example of the present invention to a telephone, and moves a robot or a pseudo-personality (speaker or listener) in a display unit in response to a voice signal input through a receiver or a telephone line, respectively. However, the transmission and reception between the devices is the same audio signal as the conventional telephone, and not only the various types of communication devices of the present invention but also the conventional telephone and the communication device can be connected. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a conversation can be made between the robot shared type communication device 1 and the image shared type communication device 15.
Although not shown, between the speaker model or the listener model in the robot individual type communication device and the robot shared type communication device, furthermore, the robot individual type speaker model communication device and the image individual type speaker model intention Various combinations are possible, such as between a transmission device. In connection with these different types of communication devices or conventional telephones, the person or the other party develops a pull-in phenomenon according to the configuration of each device.

In addition, the communication device of the present invention can be used in a wider range by focusing on handling audio signals. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example in which the robot-individual speaker model communication device 6 is applied to a personal computer that sends and receives e-mails, synthesizes voice from received mail contents (data signals), and reads out mails while moving the speaker robot 5. FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of an example in which the robot-individual speaker model intention communication device 6 is applied to a telephone having a telephone answering function, and the speaker robot 5 is moved while reproducing the recorded voice signal. In each case, the audio signal is not direct, but is synthesized by speech (Fig. 9) or the playback of the recorded audio signal.
(Fig. 10).

At present, the exchange of electronic mails on the Internet is active. This e-mail is usually used by inputting text data from a personal computer, transmitting and receiving the data as a data signal, and reading the data on a display. The present invention, as seen in FIG.
The e-mail received at 18 is voice-synthesized by the data conversion unit 19 and read out, and the speaker robot 5 is moved using the voice signal obtained by the voice synthesis. In this example, the inside of the broken line corresponds to the communication device 6 constituted by a computer, and each section is constituted by hardware or software. Unlike the conventional e-mail that reads silently on the display, the e-mail is read out with a voice, and at the same time, the entrainment phenomenon is caused by the movement of the speaker robot 5,
Enables communication by e-mail with a sense of conversation. As shown in FIG. 2, the control flow in the speaker control unit 3 captures a voice signal as ON / OFF of an electric signal. The behavior of the robot 5 is not unnatural. Thus, the existence of the speaker robot 5 is
This has the effect of reproducing speech synthesis as part of a more realistic conversation.

As described above, even when there is a time lag, using the communication device of the present invention makes it possible to communicate with a sense of conversation through voice signals. FIG.
In the example, the basic configuration is the same as the system configuration of FIG. 5, but the voice signal sent from the other party is once recorded in the voice storage unit 17, and the speaker robot 5 is moved while reproducing the voice signal recorded later. In such a case, the actual feeling of the conversation in the timely communication is enhanced. This is an application of the present invention to a so-called answering machine function. The conventional answering machine function was a one-way conversation without a talker on the other side, and it was difficult to communicate with a sense of realization.
Express a pull-in phenomenon and enable more intimate communication. The communication device 6 of this example can be used as a so-called message device by using the communication device 6 alone without connecting a communication line.

As a special application, the present invention can be applied to a voice input device. FIG. 11 shows a personal computer that sends and receives e-mails, to which the robot-individual listener model's intention communication device 8 is applied, and when the voice content (data signal) of the e-mail is input from the voice (voice signal) of the user, It is a block diagram of the example which moves the listener robot 7 by voice. In this example, the inside of the broken line corresponds to the communication device 8 constituted by a computer, and each unit is constituted by hardware or software. Contrary to the example of FIG. 9, when creating an e-mail to be transmitted, a text input (data signal) is used as a voice input method for generating from a voice signal, and the listener robot 7 is moved according to the voice signal. The person who creates the e-mail suffers from a pull-in phenomenon that feels like a conversation by the movement of the listener robot 7, and can create the e-mail in an atmosphere close to the actual conversation. By eliminating the transmission and reception of data signals, the listener robot 7 can behave like a toy that responds to the voice of the listener.

[0034]

According to the communication device of the present invention, in a conversation in which only a voice signal is exchanged like a telephone, sharing of the rhythm of the conversation is realized, and a pull-in phenomenon is developed to realize smoother or more intimate communication. You can plan. In conversations where the rhythm of the conversation cannot be shared and the pull-in phenomenon does not appear, not only does the conversation itself become boring,
There is a risk that even the intention to communicate originally cannot be sufficiently communicated, or that it may be forgotten. The communication device of the present invention can achieve a sufficient communication and realize a conversation without forgetting by encouraging each person to talk positively.

By treating conversation as interpersonal communication in which the roles of the speaker and the listener are exchanged, the rhythm of the conversation can be appropriately shared by the speaker and the listener, and a pull-in phenomenon can be brought about.
By separating the speaker and the listener in this way, the application range of the present invention can be extended to an answering machine, transmission / reception of e-mails, voice input or a toy that responds to voice. When there is no partner or when there is a time lag, the communication device of the present invention functions as an auxiliary device for promoting better communication, and can reduce so-called one-way conversation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example in which robot shared type communication devices in which the present invention is applied to a telephone are connected to each other.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating an example of a robot used in the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart in a speaker control unit.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart in a listener control unit.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a communication device of a robot individual type speaker model.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a communication device of a robot individual type listener model.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of an example in which image sharing type communication devices are connected to each other.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of an example in which a robot shared type communication device and an image shared type communication device are connected.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of an example in which a personal communication device of a robot individual type speaker model is applied to a personal computer that transmits and receives a data signal such as an electronic mail instead of a voice signal.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of an example in which an answering machine function is added to a communication device of a robot individual type speaker model.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an example in which a communication device of a robot individual type listener model is applied as a voice input device.

[Description of Signs] 1 robot shared type communication device 2 shared robot 3 speaker control unit 4 listener control unit 5 speaker robot 6 robot individual communication model of speaker model 7 listener robot 8 robot communication device of individual robot model 9 Voice transmission / reception unit 15 Image sharing type communication device 16 Shared display unit 17 Voice storage unit 18 Data transmission / reception unit 19 Data conversion unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A voice transmission / reception unit, a listener robot and a listener control unit, or a speaker robot and a speaker control unit, wherein the voice transmission / reception unit transmits and receives a voice signal such as a conversation, and the listener robot or the speaker robot receives the voice signal. In response to the voice signal, the head nods, opens and closes, blinks the eyes, or gestures of the body, and the listener control unit determines the behavior of the listener robot from the voice signal transmitted through the transmitter. And a speaker control unit that determines the behavior of the talker robot from the voice signal received by the receiving unit and activates the talker robot. 2. A voice transmission / reception unit, a shared robot, a listener control unit and a talker control unit, wherein the voice transmission / reception unit transmits and receives a voice signal such as a conversation, and the shared robot responds to the voice signal to control the head. Nodding operation, opening and closing operation of the mouth, blinking of the eyes, or gesture of the body, the listener control unit determines the behavior of the shared robot as a listener from the voice signal transmitted through the transmission unit and performs the shared operation. A communication device for operating a robot, wherein the speaker control unit determines the behavior of the shared robot as a speaker from the voice signal received by the receiving unit and operates the shared robot. 3. A voice transmitting / receiving unit and a listener display unit and a listener control unit, or a speaker display unit and a speaker control unit, wherein the voice transmitting / receiving unit transmits and receives a voice signal such as a conversation,
The listener display unit or the speaker display unit responds to the audio signal, and performs a nodding operation of the head, an opening / closing operation of the mouth, a blinking operation of an eye, or a behavior of a body gesture operation. Displayed on the display unit, the listener control unit determines the behavior of the pseudo-listener from the voice signal transmitted through the transmission unit, moves the pseudo-listener displayed on the listener display unit, and the speaker control unit controls the voice signal received by the reception unit. A behavior of the pseudo-speaker determined on the basis of the pseudo-speaker and moving the pseudo-speaker displayed on the speaker display unit. 4. An audio transmission / reception unit, a common display unit, a listener control unit and a speaker control unit, wherein the audio transmission / reception unit transmits and receives audio signals such as conversations, and the common display unit responds to the audio signals. A pseudo-speaker and a pseudo-hearing person who perform nodding of the head, opening and closing of the mouth, blinking of the eyes, or gesturing of the body are individually displayed in the same space, and the listener control unit transmits the voice transmitted through the transmission unit. The behavior of the pseudo-listener is determined from the signal and the pseudo-listener displayed on the shared display unit is moved, and the speaker control unit determines the behavior of the pseudo-listener from the audio signal received by the receiving unit and displays the behavior on the shared display unit. A communication device characterized by moving a pseudo talker. 5. The behavior of a speaker robot, a listener robot, a shared robot as a speaker, a shared robot as a listener, a pseudo-speaker, or a pseudo-listener is a nodding operation of a head, an opening / closing operation of a mouth, a blinking operation of an eye, or a movement of a body. It consists of a selective combination of gesture motions, the nod operation timing is the time when the nod prediction value estimated from ON / OFF of the audio signal exceeds a predetermined nod threshold, and the blink operation timing starts from the nod operation timing The opening and closing movement of the mouth follows the change of the voice signal, the gesture of the body follows the change of the voice signal, or the timing of the gesture of the body nods estimated from the ON / OFF of the voice signal. 5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the time when the predicted value exceeds a predetermined gesture threshold value. 6. A data transmission / reception unit and a data conversion unit in place of the voice transmission / reception unit, wherein the data transmission / reception unit transmits / receives a data signal such as a document, and the data conversion unit converts a data signal transmitted / received by the data transmission / reception unit. Synthesize the audio signal,
5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the voice signal is supplied to a speaker control unit or a listener control unit.