JP2001216130A - Voice input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily change the manipulated variable of equipment like an analog variable by using voice input. SOLUTION: When a user operates a voice recognition switch 63, the data of voice spoken by the user thereafter are entered into a control part 64b through a signal processing part 64a. The control part 64b performs voice recognition on the basis of the voice data and a talking-back voice corresponding to the recognized voice is generated from a loudspeaker 62. When judging the correctness of the recognized result, the control part 54b outputs a command indicating the operation of equipment corresponding to the recognized result to a corresponding ECU out of plural ECUs 10 to 40 and continuously outputs the command during the operation of the switch 63. Thereby the manipulated variable of the equipment can be changed like an analog variable in proportion to the operation time of the switch 63.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice input device for operating a device using voice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, voice recognition has been increasingly used to operate complicated devices. When operating the device by voice only,
Although there is no problem with the selection type function, it is difficult to input the analog amount by voice.

[0003] For example, in car navigation (hereinafter simply referred to as “navigation”), it is difficult for the user to grasp the operation amount sensibly even if the user inputs a voice “scroll up small” to scroll the map. It is difficult to deliver the amount you want. In addition, if the volume of the audio is increased by one step such as "increase the volume" in order to change the volume of the audio, a complicated operation of repeating the recognition operation while confirming the volume of the volume is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a voice input device that can easily change an operation amount of a device in an analog manner using voice input.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, after recognizing a voice indicating an operation of a device uttered by a user, the device is operated in response to an operation on a switch. The feature is that the operation amount is defined.

Thus, the operation amount of the device can be easily changed in an analog manner using the voice input.

In this case, the number of switch means can be reduced by using the switch means also as the switch means for giving the recognition timing of the recognition means, as in the second aspect of the present invention.

Further, as in the invention as set forth in claim 3, the switch means comprises at least a first switch means for changing the operation amount in a first direction and a second switch means for changing the operation amount in a second direction. With the configuration including the switch means, the operation for changing the device in a desired direction can be facilitated.

The switch means may be a push-operation type switch for defining the operation amount of the device by the press operation time.
As in the invention described in (1), the switch can be operated in an analog manner.

[0010]

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a vehicle control system including a voice input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

A vehicle has a navigation control device (hereinafter referred to as a navigation EC).
U, an air conditioner control device (hereinafter, air conditioner E)
CU) 20, a wiper control device (hereinafter, referred to as a wiper ECU) 30, a window control device (hereinafter, referred to as a window ECU) 40, an audio control device (hereinafter, referred to as an audio ECU) 50, and the like. Here, the navigation ECU 10 performs control such as displaying a map and a current location.
Controls the air conditioner, and the wiper ECU
Numeral 30 controls the wiper.
The CU 40 controls opening and closing of windows, and the audio ECU 50 controls audio selection, volume, and the like.

The ECUs 10 to 50 can exchange information with the voice input device. The voice input device includes a microphone 61, a speaker 62, a voice recognition switch 63, and a voice input device main body 64. The voice input device main body 64 includes a signal processing unit 64a and a control unit 64.
b, a voice synthesis unit 64c. Note that the voice recognition switch 63 is a switch for giving a recognition timing for voice recognition. In this embodiment, the voice recognition switch 63 is used as a trigger switch for giving a start timing for voice recognition. It is also possible.

The above-described voice input device performs the following operation. When the voice recognition switch 63 is operated by the user, the data of the voice uttered thereafter by the user is taken into the control unit 64b via the signal processing unit 64a. The controller 64b performs voice recognition based on the voice data, and controls the voice synthesizer 64c to cause the speaker 62 to emit voice for talkback. The control unit 54
b, when it is determined that the recognition result is correct, a command indicating the operation of the device corresponding to the recognition result is sent to the above E.
The command is output to the corresponding ECU of the CU 10 to 40, and the command is continuously output while the voice recognition switch 63 is operated. As a result, the voice recognition switch 6
The operation amount of the device can be changed in an analog manner in proportion to the operation time of (3).

Next, the processing of the control unit 64b in the above-described voice input device will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

When the voice recognition switch 63 is turned on (step 101), voice data input to the microphone 61 is captured via the signal processing section 64a, and voice recognition is performed based on the captured voice data (step 101). 102). This speech recognition process is the same as the conventional one, and standard speech data is stored in advance in a recognition dictionary storage unit (not shown). Is recognized as a recognized voice.

Next, talkback processing is performed on the recognized voice (step 103). Specifically, the voice synthesizer 64c is controlled to cause the speaker 52 to emit a talkback voice for the recognized voice.

Next, it is determined whether or not the user has performed a cancel operation within a predetermined time (step 104). In this case, for example, the cancel operation can be determined by the user operating a cancel switch (not shown in FIG. 1) or the user double-clicking the voice recognition switch 63.

When the user hears the talkback voice and determines that the recognition result is not correct and performs the above-described canceling operation, the voice synthesizing unit 64c is controlled to cause the speaker 52 to utter a message prompting utterance again (step 52). 10
5) The voice recognition processing described above is performed again.

If the user does not perform the cancel operation within a predetermined time, the recognition result is determined to be correct, and a command indicating the operation of the device corresponding to the recognition result is sent to the ECU.
The command is output to the corresponding ECUs 10 to 40, and the command is continuously output while the voice recognition switch 63 is operated (step 106). Thus, the operation amount of the device is determined according to the operation of the voice recognition switch 63. Therefore, by changing the operation time of the voice recognition switch 63, the operation amount of the device can be changed in an analog manner.

For example, after recognizing the command of "opening a window" by voice input, by continuously pressing the voice recognition switch 63, a command to that effect is output to the window ECU 40 and the window can be kept open. In this way, the analog amount of "how much the window is opened" can be easily transmitted to the device. In addition, after the command "close window" is recognized, the window can be kept closed by keeping the voice recognition switch 63 pressed.

Similarly, after the voice input of the command of “temperature increase” or “temperature decrease” is performed, the voice recognition switch 63 is kept pressed, whereby the air conditioner ECU is pressed.
A command to that effect is output to 20 and the set temperature of the air conditioner can be increased or decreased in an analog manner.

After a voice input of a command such as "audio volume up" or "audio volume down" is performed, a command to that effect is output to the audio ECU 50 by pressing and holding the voice recognition switch 63. Can be increased or decreased in an analog manner.

After the voice input of the command "wiper fast" or "wiper slow" is performed, the voice recognition switch 63 is kept pressed, so that the wiper E
A command to that effect is output to the CU 30, and the wiping speed of the wiper can be increased or decreased in an analog manner.

Further, "navigation volume up", "navigation volume down", "map scroll up", "map scroll down",
"Map Scroll Right", "Map Scroll Left", "Large Scale", "Small Scale", "Large 3D Display",
After the voice input of any of the commands of "small 3D display angle", the voice recognition switch 63 is kept pressed to output a command to that effect to the navigation ECU 10 to change the volume, scrolling, and scale of the voice output in the navigation. , 3
An angle change of the D display can be changed in an analog manner.

The above-described processing in step 106 is continued until it is determined in step 107 that the operation has been completed.
The determination of the end of the operation is performed by detecting a user's act of ending the operation, such as a lapse of a predetermined time after the operation of the voice recognition switch 63 is stopped or a double-click of the voice recognition switch 63. By this determination of the end of the operation, one device operation process using the voice input ends.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to easily input an analog amount that is difficult to input by the command method of voice recognition. Further, since the switch for changing the operation amount of the device in an analog manner is also used as the voice recognition switch 63, the switch can be easily searched. In this case, the voice recognition switch 63 is
By attaching it to a part that does not hinder driving, for example, a steering wheel, it is possible to make it simpler and easier to use. In the various embodiments described below, it is preferable that each switch means is attached to, for example, a steering which does not hinder driving. (Other Embodiments) In the first embodiment described above, the switch for changing the operation amount of the device in an analog manner is also used as the voice recognition switch 63. However, as shown in FIG. 63 and an analog amount switch 65 for changing the operation amount of the device in an analog manner may be separately provided. In this case, in step 106 shown in FIG. 2, a process of outputting a command to change the operation amount of the device in an analog manner in proportion to the operation time of the analog amount switch 65 is performed.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, two analog amount switches 65a and 65b are provided, and the first analog amount switch 65a is used to change the operation amount of the device in the first direction (for example, to change the analog amount in the large or small direction). Alternatively, the second analog amount switch 65b is used to change the operation amount of the device in the second direction (for example, the analog amount is increased or decreased or the opening / closing direction). It may be used for changing in a large direction or a closing direction when changing. In this case, for example, in the case of opening / closing a window, after inputting a voice of a command “window”, the second analog amount switch 65b is moved in the direction in which the window is opened by the first analog amount switch 65a.
Can be changed in a direction to close the window. The same applies when changing the volume. Note that the arrangement of the first and second analog amount switches 65a and 65b is such that the voice recognition switch 63 is arranged between the first and second analog amount switches 65a and 65b as shown in FIG. You may.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, four analog amount switches 65a, 65b, 65c, and 65d are provided, and the analog amount switches are provided in first, second, third, and fourth directions such as left, right, up, and down. The amount may be changed. For example,
In the case of map scrolling, after inputting the command "Scroll" by voice, "Up scroll"
"Down Scroll" on the analog amount switch 65a
By assigning “left scroll” to the third analog amount switch 65c and “right scroll” to the fourth analog amount switch 65d, the analog amount switch 65b can be changed in each direction.

The analog quantity switch may be a touch-type switch using a touch panel. For example, a configuration using the touch switches 65a 'and 65b' shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be applied to the embodiment shown in FIG. In this case, in order to prevent a malfunction, it is preferable that the touch panel has a touch panel shape in which the direction (increase, decrease, and the like) of the analog amount can be recognized simply by touching.

Further, the analog amount switch is not limited to a push-operation type switch as in the various embodiments described above, but may be a switch operated in an analog manner. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a dial type switch 65e may be used to change the operation amount of the device according to the operation position. Although not shown, an analog operation may be performed using a joystick. By using the joystick, for example, scrolling of the screen can be easily performed. When a switch that is operated in an analog manner is used, the operation may be terminated by detecting that the switch operation has not been performed for a certain period of time.

Further, in the various embodiments described above, the degree of change in the operation amount of the device by the analog amount switch can be changed by the original voice command. For example, when saying "large scroll" or the like, it is possible to make the amount of change in scroll larger than when "scroll" is input.

The voice input device according to the present invention is not limited to the one used for a plurality of ECUs 10 to 50 as shown in FIG.
0 may be provided.

The present invention is not limited to those used for vehicle control as described above, but can be applied to, for example, mobile phones. If the above-described voice recognition switch and analog amount switch are provided in the mobile phone, the device can be operated easily with a small number of buttons by inputting the target device and the operation amount by voice. in this case,
For example, when the "reception volume" is changed during a call, by assigning the function of the analog switch to raise or lower the "reception volume" by voice recognition, the operation can be performed without looking at the operation panel of the mobile phone. In addition, the present invention can be simultaneously applied to various devices in a home. If a remote controller having the above-mentioned voice recognition switch and analog amount switch is prepared, the device to be operated and the operation amount can be input by voice, so that the device can be easily operated with a small number of buttons. For example, if you enter a command such as "air conditioner" command or "air conditioner temperature adjustment", the analog amount switch on the remote control will be assigned to the function of raising or lowering the temperature, or after it is recognized as "blind", it will open and close the blind. It is also conceivable to assign to Also, instead of preparing a remote control for each device, a target device or operation can be input by voice.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle control system including a voice input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a control unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a voice recognition switch and an analog amount switch are separately provided.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which two analog quantity switches are provided.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment in which two analog quantity switches are provided.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which four analog quantity switches are provided.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment in which four analog quantity switches are provided.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which an analog quantity switch is configured by a touch switch.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another embodiment in which the analog quantity switch is configured by a touch switch.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the analog amount switch is constituted by a dial type switch.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another embodiment in which the analog quantity switch is constituted by a dial type switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation ECU, 20 ... Air conditioner ECU, 30 ... Wiper ECU, 40 ... Wind ECU, 50 ... Audio ECU, 61 ... Microphone, 62 ... Speaker, 63 ... Voice recognition switch, 64 ... Voice input device main body, 64a ... Signal processing Section, 64b: control section, 64c: voice synthesis section, 65, 6
5a, 65b, 65c, 65d, 65a'65b '... analog amount switches.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (reference) // G01C 21/00 G10L 3/00 571R G08G 1/0969 F term (reference) 2F029 AA02 AC18 5D015 KK01 KK04 KK04 LL04 LL06 LL07 LL10 LL12 5E501 AA23 CB03 CB15 FA32 FA45 5H180 AA01 FF25

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A recognition means for recognizing a voice uttered by a user, a switch means operated by a user, and when the recognition means recognizes a voice indicating an operation of a device, an operation on the switch means is performed. Means for determining the amount of operation of the device in response to the input. 2. The voice input device according to claim 1, wherein said switch means is also used as a switch means for giving a recognition timing of said recognition means. 3. The switch means comprises: first switch means for changing at least the operation amount in a first direction; and second switch means for changing the operation amount in a second direction different from the first direction. The voice input device according to claim 1, wherein the voice input device is configured to include: 4. The voice input device according to claim 1, wherein the switch means is a push-operation switch for defining an operation amount of the device by a press operation time. 5. The voice input device according to claim 1, wherein said switch means is a switch operated in an analog manner.