JP2004080509A - Communication apparatus with voice reading-aloud function and communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize cable broadcasting, without providing new facilities for cable broadcasting. <P>SOLUTION: A control unit receives notification of an e-mail (step S10), and when it determines that memory capacity of a second storing unit is sufficient (step S11), the control unit executes e-mail receiving processing and disconnects a line, allows a voice-synthesizing unit to convert the received e-mail text into voice data, and allows a speaker to output the voice data (step S15). After that, a list of the titles of e-mails received is displayed on a display unit (step S15); while when the memory capacity is not sufficient, notice, to the effect that the memory capacity is not sufficient, is displayed on the display unit (step S12). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication device with a voice reading function and a communication system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In some municipalities, local governments broadcast on the streets using wires owned by the municipalities.
[0003]
In such a cable broadcast, usually, a speaker of a communication device installed in each home broadcasts an event in a town, an emergency notification such as a fire in the town, and the like. Further, in such a cable broadcast, a broadcast is automatically performed from a speaker of a communication device without a home person responding.
[0004]
Also, in the aging society in recent years, such cable broadcasting is a very effective means for the elderly to actively participate in the town events by communicating the events in the town to the elderly and to expand the place of exchange. It is also an effective means to distract the loneliness of the elderly.
[0005]
Further, a number of communication devices that can be easily used by the elderly have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-82025 proposes an e-mail device capable of reading out an e-mail by voice.
[0006]
In such an e-mail device that reads out text aloud, the elderly can understand the text of the e-mail without looking at the small characters on the display.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, if such a cable broadcasting facility is provided in an area where there is no cable broadcasting, an enormous amount of capital investment is required, and a problem arises in that a burden is imposed on the municipal finances.
[0008]
Also, in the cable broadcasting, after a cable broadcasting administrator (for example, a staff of a municipal government office) asks the elderly house whether the physical condition is okay or whether any trouble has occurred. It is difficult to get the response from each family and confirm that the elderly are okay.
[0009]
This is because the above-mentioned cable broadcasting only transmits information unilaterally to each home, and cannot transmit information from each home to a broadcasting station (center). In this case, the elderly must always listen to the cable broadcast, but the elderly may miss the broadcast without knowing when the cable broadcast will be broadcast.
[0010]
Furthermore, when an elderly person hears the broadcast, the elderly person must go to a place where a telephone (or fax) is installed and make a telephone call to the center side or perform fax transmission.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve such a problem. In a communication device having a voice reading function according to claim 1, a transmission / reception means connected to a line for transmitting / receiving mail data, and a mail received by the transmission / reception means, Data conversion means for converting data into voice data, a speaker for outputting voice data converted by the data conversion means, and when the transmission / reception means receives mail data from a line, the received mail data is automatically converted to the data. And a control unit for converting the converted voice data into audio data by the data conversion unit and controlling the converted voice data to be output from the speaker.
[0012]
A communication device with a voice reading function according to claim 2 is the communication device with a voice reading function according to claim 1, further comprising: storage means for storing mail data received by the transmission / reception means; display means; And the control unit, when the transmission / reception unit receives mail data from a line, stores the received mail data in the storage unit, causes the display unit to display a list of the stored mail data, When it is determined that there is an instruction to select and reproduce the mail data stored in the storage means from the instruction means while the list is displayed, the mail data selected by the instruction means is converted into audio data by the data conversion means. The converted audio data is output from the speaker.
[0013]
A communication system according to claim 3, wherein the center unit transmits the same mail data to a plurality of destinations, receives the mail data transmitted from the center unit, and automatically converts the received mail data into voice data. And a communication device for outputting.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The apparatus according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied automatically converts voice data upon receipt of an e-mail and outputs the data through a speaker. A communication system using the apparatus according to the embodiment is a center (server or server). By transmitting e-mail to each communication device from a personal computer), each communication device can automatically convert the received e-mail into audio data and output it. Instead of the cable broadcasting in each municipality, a public line This realizes a town broadcast by sending an e-mail using the e-mail.
[0015]
First, a communication system to which the present invention is applied will be described.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a communication system according to the present embodiment.
[0017]
In FIG. 1, a communication device (for example, a facsimile device) 100 is connected to a mail server 200 via a line L.
[0018]
The mail server 200 is connected to a gateway 300 that relays and converts data, and the gateway 300 is connected to an Internet network 400.
[0019]
A personal computer 500 is connected to the Internet network 400 via a wired line, and the communication device 100 can transmit and receive mail to and from the personal computer 500 via the mail server 200, the gateway 300, and the Internet network 400.
[0020]
For example, when the personal computer 500 is installed in a municipal office or the like, a mail body can be transmitted from the office to the communication device 100.
[0021]
When the communication device 100 receives a mail from the personal computer 500, for example, the mail transmitted from the personal computer 500 is temporarily stored in the mail server 200 via the Internet network 400 and the gateway 300. When the mail is stored in the mail server 200, it is notified that the mail has arrived from the mail server 200 to the communication device 100 (mail notification).
[0022]
Note that it is also possible to access the mail server 200 from the communication device 100 and check for incoming mail.
[0023]
Next, the communication device 100 can receive the mail text from the mail server 200 by accessing the mail server 200.
[0024]
On the other hand, when transmitting mail from the communication device 100 to the personal computer 500, the mail is transmitted from the communication device 100 to the mail server 200, and the transmitted mail is temporarily stored in the mail server 200. The mail stored in the mail server 200 is transmitted to the personal computer 500 or a mail server (not shown) connectable to the personal computer 500 via the gateway 300 and the Internet network 400.
[0025]
Next, a communication device with a voice reading function, which is an embodiment device to which the present invention is applied, will be described.
[0026]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the communication device 100 shown in FIG.
[0027]
In FIG. 2, a control unit 101 includes a semiconductor microprocessor, and controls each circuit described below based on a system program stored in a first storage unit 102 including, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory).
[0028]
Further, the control unit 101 transmits and receives a facsimile control signal such as a CNG signal and a DIS signal, the number of mails, a mail body, and the like, and a modem 104 that receives an incoming notification signal indicating that a mail has arrived at the server. Built-in.
[0029]
Further, the control unit 101 has a voice synthesizing unit 103, and the voice synthesizing unit 103 converts the mail text received by the modem 104 into phoneme piece data stored in a third storage unit 118 described later. The audio data is converted based on the audio data.
[0030]
The incoming call detection unit 105 is connected to the line L, detects an incoming signal of 16 Hz from the line L, and the polarity inversion detection unit 106 detects the polarity inversion of the line L.
[0031]
The diode bridge 107 connected to the line L prevents a sudden voltage change inside the device at the time of polarity reversal.
[0032]
The network control unit 108 closes and opens the line L under the control of the control unit 101.
[0033]
The cross point circuit 109 switches the route of data such as voice signals, facsimile data, the number of mails, and mail contents between the network control unit 108 and a handset 110 and a DAC 112 described below under the control of the control unit 101. .
[0034]
The handset 110 is connected to the cross point circuit 109, and the hook detector 111 detects a hook state of the handset 110.
[0035]
A DAC (Digital Analog Converter) 112 converts an analog signal input from the crosspoint circuit 109 into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the modem 104, and converts a digital signal input from the modem 104 into an analog signal and converts the digital signal into an analog signal. And a function of outputting to the cross point circuit 109.
[0036]
The reading unit 113 includes, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) reading device, and reads image information under the control of the control unit 101.
[0037]
The printing unit 114 includes a printing device using a known method such as an inkjet method or a thermal paper method, and prints image information under the control of the control unit 101.
[0038]
The display unit 115 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and performs various displays including the subject of the mail and the text of the mail under the control of the control unit 101.
[0039]
The input unit 116 has keys such as a numeric keypad, a function key, a selection key, a mail transmission key, and a mail creation key.
[0040]
The second storage unit 117 is composed of, for example, a nonvolatile flash memory, and represents information indicating whether or not a mail arrival notification has been received, data of a mail body, a mail subject, a sender address, and a mail reception date and time of the server 200. A time stamp and a flag indicating whether the mail has already been read by the user can be stored for a plurality of times.
[0041]
The third storage unit 118 is formed of, for example, a flash memory, and includes dictionary data such as alphanumeric characters, hiragana, katakana, kanji, and symbols for creating a mail sentence, and a speech synthesis unit 103 for performing voice synthesis of a mail body. Contains phoneme segment data.
[0042]
The speaker 120 connected to the amplifier 119 outputs a ringtone or data synthesized by the voice synthesis unit 103.
[0043]
Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described.
[0044]
First, in step S10, when the control unit 101 determines that the modem 104 has received the mail notification signal from the line L via the diode bridge 107, the network control unit 108, the cross point circuit 109, and the DAC 112, the process proceeds to step S11. Proceed. The mail notification signal is a signal indicating whether or not a mail addressed to the own device has reached the mail server 200.
[0045]
In step S11, when the control unit 101 determines that there is no free space in the second storage unit 117, the control unit 101 proceeds to step S12, and otherwise proceeds to step S13.
[0046]
In step S12, the control unit 101 causes the display unit 115 to display, for example, "no memory capacity", and proceeds to step S16.
[0047]
In step S13, the control unit 101 controls the modem 104 to receive the mail data from the line L, and stores the received mail data in the second storage unit 117.
[0048]
In the subsequent step S14, the control unit 101 controls the network control unit 108 to disconnect the line L, and proceeds to step S15.
[0049]
In step S15, the control unit 101 causes the voice synthesizing unit to perform voice synthesis on the mail data stored in the second storage unit 117 in step S13, and outputs the mail data from the speaker 120.
[0050]
In step S16, the control unit 101 displays a list of the received mail titles on the display unit 115, and returns to step S10.
[0051]
Next, the operation shown in FIG. 3 will be described below using the transition of the display state of the display unit 115.
[0052]
FIG. 4 is a display transition diagram of the display unit 115.
[0053]
First, FIG. 4A shows a display on standby, in which today's date and time are displayed.
[0054]
If there is a mail notification from the line L and there is free space in the second storage unit 117, a mail reception process is executed (corresponding to step S13 in FIG. 3), and after the display unit 115 displays "Connecting""Receivingmail" is displayed (FIGS. 4B and 4C). When the mail receiving process is completed, the line L is disconnected, and a mail reading operation is performed (corresponding to step S15 in FIG. 3). At this time, the display unit 115 displays “Receiving received mail automatically reading”, and when there are a plurality of mails, displays the number of the mail being read out ((d) and (e) in FIG. 4). ).
[0055]
When the reading of the mail is finished, a list of the received mail titles is displayed after "Reading finished" is displayed on the display unit 115 ((f) and (g) in FIG. 4).
[0056]
When the user listens to the read mail content, the user can listen to the mail content by selecting a desired mail from the received mail list and outputting the mail text by voice.
[0057]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when an e-mail is transmitted from the personal computer 500 installed in each municipal office to each of the communication devices 100, the communication device 100 that has received the e-mail text immediately converts the e-mail text into voice. Since the signal is output from the speaker 120, the cable broadcasting can be performed in a municipal government where there is no cable broadcasting without making an enormous amount of capital investment.
[0058]
When the staff of the government office, which is the user of the personal computer 500, confirms that there is no problem with the elderly who are the users of the communication devices 100, the personal computer 500 sends an e-mail to each communication device 100. Then, the user of each communication device 100 can listen to the text of the mail output in voice and reply to the communication device 100 so that the staff of the government office can confirm the safety of the elderly.
[0059]
Further, when the user of the communication device 100 hears the reading of the mail when the mail arrives, it is possible to select a desired mail from the received mail list and output the mail text as voice from the speaker 120. Unlike cable broadcasting, you can listen to the broadcast contents (mail body) at any time.
[0060]
In the present embodiment, the mail notification is sent from the mail server 200 to the communication device 100 every time one mail text reaches the communication device 500, but the mail server 200 sends the mail text to the communication device at predetermined time intervals. It may be configured to transmit to 100. In this case, since the number of times of line connection is small, the communication fee can be reduced.
[0061]
When transmitting the mail text to the communication device 100, not only one mail but also a plurality of mails may be transmitted at a time.
[0062]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, it is not necessary to newly provide a wired facility, so that an enormous amount of capital investment need not be made.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a display form of a display unit 115.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 terminal 101 control section 103 voice synthesis section 104 modem 115 display section 117 second storage section 118 third storage section 120 speaker

Claims (3)

Transmission / reception means connected to a line for transmitting / receiving mail data, data conversion means for converting mail data received by the transmission / reception means to voice data, and a speaker for outputting voice data converted by the data conversion means,
When the transmitting / receiving means receives mail data from a line, control means for automatically converting the received mail data into voice data by the data conversion means and outputting the converted voice data from the speaker. A communication device with a voice reading function. A communication device with a voice reading function according to claim 1,
Further, storage means for storing the mail data received by the transmitting and receiving means, display means, and instruction means,
When the transmission / reception unit receives the mail data from the line, the control unit stores the received mail data in the storage unit, displays a list of the stored mail data on the display unit, and displays the list of the mail data while the list is being displayed. When it is determined from the instruction means that there is an instruction to select and reproduce the mail data stored in the storage means, the mail data selected by the instruction means is converted into voice data by the data conversion means, and A communication device with a voice reading function, wherein the voice data is output from the speaker. A center unit that transmits the same mail data to a plurality of destinations, and a communication device that receives the mail data transmitted from the center unit, automatically converts the received mail data into voice data, and outputs the voice data. A communication system, comprising:

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