JP2008292762A - Sound generation device and its control method, and program for sound generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sound generation device which can be comfortably used, even when used in a public transportation. <P>SOLUTION: The sound generation device 1 includes: an information storage means (a time table storage means 5 and a route environment storage means 7) for storing information on a public transportation; a sound generation means (a sound output device 12) for generating a sound; and a sound control means (a player controller 2, a sound volume level control synthesis section 9 and a sound conversion section 16) for controlling the sound generated by the sound generation means on the basis of the information on the public transportation. Moreover, the sound generation device includes: an information storage means for storing the information on the public transportation; a display means (the player controller 2 and a display device 15) for displaying the information on the public transportation; and sound generation means for generating the sound. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sound generator, a control method thereof, and a program for a sound generator.

  Portable audio generators that reproduce music recorded on storage media such as cassette tape, MD (Mini Disc), CD (Compact Disc), flash memory, and HD (Hard Disk) have become widespread. There is also a portable audio generator that reproduces video and audio recorded on a storage medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) at the same time. In addition, there are sound generation devices that generate sound that is not recorded on a storage medium, such as a portable radio or television. For these sound generators, obtain the surrounding environment information such as the place of use (for example, sea, mountains) and the time of use (for example, morning, noon, night), A technique has been proposed in which a playback music candidate is automatically determined based on environmental information and a user can select a music to be played back from the playback music candidates (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-146980 A

  These sound generators are often used in public transportation such as buses, trains, subways, bullet trains, and airplanes using headphones, earphones, and the like. However, when used in such public transportation, it is difficult to obtain comfort in use in the following points.

  First, since the level of ambient noise varies depending on the type of public transportation, time zone, etc., it takes time and effort to adjust the volume level each time according to the level of noise.

  Next, it becomes difficult to hear surrounding sounds that should be originally heard. For example, if you use a public transportation system that you are not familiar with, you may find it difficult to know your current location, and you may be missed. In order to avoid overriding or the like, it may take time and effort to temporarily remove the headphones, earphones, etc., or lower the volume level in order to hear the announcement sound of the current location.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sound generator that can be used comfortably even when used in public transportation. It is another object of the present invention to provide a sound generator control method and a sound generator program that can be used comfortably even when used in public transportation.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an audio generating device according to the present invention includes information storage means for storing information relating to public transportation, voice generating means for generating sound, and sound generation based on information relating to public transportation. Voice control means for controlling the voice generated by the means.

  In addition to the above-described invention, the sound generation device of another invention is a sound level control means for changing the sound level output by the sound generation means as the sound control means, and the sound generation means as information on public transportation as sound. At least one of the information sound generating means to be generated and the generation target changing means for changing the target of the sound generated by the sound generating means is provided.

  In addition to the above-described invention, the voice generating device according to another invention includes an information voice generating unit as a voice control unit and determines whether or not to generate information related to public transportation by the voice generating unit. To have a means.

  In addition to the above-described invention, the sound generation apparatus according to another invention is configured such that the generation target changing unit sequentially generates each sound grouped corresponding to information on public transportation.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a voice generating apparatus comprising information storage means for storing information relating to public transportation, display means for displaying information relating to public transportation, and voice generating means for generating voice. .

  According to another aspect of the invention, in addition to the above-described invention, the display means includes at least one of a public transportation type, a public transportation current position information, and a public transportation timetable information. One is going to be displayed.

  In addition to the above-described invention, the sound generation device of another invention has display determination means for determining whether or not the display means displays information related to public transportation.

  In addition to the above-described invention, the sound generation device of another invention may include information on public transportation such as timetable information on public transportation, information on the type of public transportation, or noise information on public transportation. Of at least one of them.

  In addition to the above-described invention, the sound generation device according to another invention is configured to acquire information related to public transportation via a communication device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a method for controlling a sound generation apparatus according to the present invention includes a sound generation unit that generates a sound, and an information sound generation unit that generates information related to public transportation as a sound by the sound generation unit. And a sound generation device control method for controlling a sound generation device having at least one of display means for displaying information relating to public transportation, an information acquisition step for obtaining information relating to public transportation, An information sounding means control step for controlling the information sounding means based on the information on the transportation means and at least one step of displaying information on the public transportation means by the display means. Yes.

  In order to solve the above problems, a program for a sound generator according to the present invention includes an information acquisition step for acquiring information relating to public transportation, and an information sound for controlling information sounding means based on information relating to public transportation. The control means control step and at least one of the information display step in which information relating to public transportation is displayed by the display means are executed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an audio generator that can be used comfortably even when used in public transportation. Further, according to the control method of the sound generator or the sound generator program of the present invention, the sound generator can be used comfortably even when used in public transportation.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a case where a digital audio device in which music data is recorded in HD is an audio generator 1 and a public transportation is a train.

(Configuration of sound generator)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sound generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the sound generation device 1 includes a player control device 2, a timetable storage device 5, a route environment information storage device 7, a time management unit 8, a volume level control / synthesis unit 9, a sound The generator 12, the voice storage device 13, the voice information storage device 14, the display device 15, the voice conversion unit 16, the selection button 17, and the route-specific music selection unit 18 are provided. In addition, a communication device 4 such as a mobile phone is connected to the sound generator 1.

  Among these, the player control device 2, the volume level control / synthesis unit 9, the audio conversion unit 16, and the route-specific music selection unit 18 perform arithmetic processing by a common CPU (Central Processing Unit). It is comprised with the member which can. The player control device 2 controls processing of the voice utterance device 1 as a whole. As shown in FIG. 1, each component of the sound generation device 1 described above is connected to the player control device 2.

  The communication device 4 is configured to be able to receive timetable information 3 from a timetable data supplier. The communication device 4 is connected to the player control device 2 and can transmit the received timetable information 3 to the player control device 2.

  The timetable storage device 5 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) that can read and write information. The timetable storage device 5 stores and accumulates timetable information 3 by the player control device 2. Further, the player control device 2 can refer to the contents stored in the timetable storage device 5. Here, the timetable information 3 includes information related to departure and arrival times at each station of a predetermined train. In addition, when using a plurality of trains, the timetable information 3 includes information on transfer stations, information on types of trains to be used after transfer, information on departure times of trains to be used after transfer, and the like. It is out.

  The timetable information 3 can be obtained as follows, for example. First, a user inputs a departure station and an arrival station (destination) into the communication device 4, searches using a database of timetable data suppliers, and obtains a route from the departure station to the arrival station and information on the train by departure time. obtain. Thereafter, the user can obtain the timetable information 3 by selecting one of the information by departure time. The timetable information 3 obtained in this way is automatically stored in the timetable storage device 5 by the player control device 2. The timetable information 3 is used in each component of the audio reproducing device 1 in a state in which the information is converted into text data (character string data encoded according to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards)).

  The timetable information 3 once acquired is stored in the timetable storage device 5 with a name so that it can be reused. The reason is that it is possible to save the trouble of acquiring timetable information repeatedly used for commuting and the like every time commuting. Moreover, it is because it is thought that the timetable information 3 once acquired has high possibility of using again. At the time of reuse, for example, the names of the timetable information 3 are rearranged according to their usage frequency order and displayed on the display device 15 to be described later, and the selection button 17 to be described later for the timetable information 3 to be used by the user. Select with and use.

  The route environment storage device 7 is composed of a RAM and is connected to the player control device 2 so as to communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the route environment storage device 7 stores route environment information 7A for each route (1-n) as text data.

  The route environment information 7A is composed of, for example, route type A (7B), route type B (7C), noise level 7D, congestion level 7E, and appropriate music 7F. Route type A (7B) is a type of public transportation such as a subway or a train. The route type B (7C) is a route type obtained by further subdividing the route type A (7B), such as whether each station stops or express. The noise level 7D is the level of noise of the transportation itself that the user feels in the state of getting on the transportation of each route. The congestion level 7E is a noise level obtained by adding noise generated by the transportation itself to noise generated from the crowd in the transportation system at the time of congestion. The proper music 7F is a group of music that allows the user to comfortably listen to the sound among noises.

  The player control device 2 extracts and refers to route environment information 7A (hereinafter referred to as route information) of a specific route from the route environment information 7A using each route (1 to n) as a key. The timetable storage device 5 and the route environment storage device 7 described above serve as information storage means. Moreover, the timetable information 3 and route information become information relating to public transportation. For example, timetable information 3 corresponds to timetable information of public transportation, route type A (7B) and route type B (7C) correspond to information of type of public transportation, noise level 7D and congestion The hour level 7E corresponds to noise information of public transportation.

  The value of the noise level 7D and the value of the congestion level 7E indicate the relative value of the noise level, and the noise increases in proportion to the value (number). For example, when the noise level is 8, the noise is twice as loud as the noise when the noise level is 4.

  The time management unit 8 includes a timer and the like. The time management unit 8 calculates the current date and time. Information on the current date and time calculated by the time management unit 8 is acquired by the player control device 2. Furthermore, the current location information of public transportation is specified and acquired by the player control device 2 by comparing the current date and time with the timetable information 3.

  The volume level control / synthesis unit 9 is configured and functions to change the volume level of the sound generated by the sound generator 1 in accordance with the noise level 7D or the congestion level 7E extracted by the player control device 2 described above. . Further, as will be described later, the volume level control / synthesizing unit 9 synthesizes information obtained by converting information related to public transportation into voice and the voice stored in the voice storage device 13 to create a synthesized sound. Configured and functional. Then, the synthesized speech is generated by the player control device 2 in the speech output device 12 described later. The volume level control / synthesis unit 9 is a voice control unit and a volume level changing unit.

  The sound output device 12 emits sound at a sound volume level controlled by the sound volume level control / synthesis unit 9. This sound output device 12 serves as sound generation means. Specifically, the sound output device 12 is a speaker, an earphone, a headphone, or the like.

  The audio storage device 13 is an audio storage means, and is configured to input / output audio data converted to electronic data (hereinafter referred to as audio data, specifically music data) via the player control device 2. ing. The voice storage device 13 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like.

  The voice information storage device 14 is composed of a RAM. In the audio information storage device 14, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the artist name, album name, and genre corresponding to each index (P-1 to Pn) are stored as text data. Yes. Each sound data is stored in a state associated with the indexes (P-1 to Pn) as shown in FIG. 3D when stored in the sound storage device 13. The audio information storage device 14 is configured to be referred to by the player control device 2 and to extract the artist name, album name, genre name, and index as text data. In addition, as shown in the related table in FIG. 4, the voice information storage device 14 also stores index data distributed to the groups 1 to n of the appropriate music 7F stored in the route environment storage device 7. . In this distribution, the same music piece (index P-1) may belong to different groups (groups 1 and n).

  For example, it is assumed that the group of the appropriate music 7F is “group 2”. Then, the index (P-14, P-21, etc.) of the music belonging to the group 2 is acquired by the route-specific music selection unit 18. Then, those music pieces are extracted from the voice storage device 13 in a predetermined order set in advance or in an order set by the user, and are output by the voice output device 12. In this manner, each voice of the voice data grouped corresponding to the information on the public transportation is generated sequentially.

  An example of grouping (classification) corresponding to information on public transportation will be described. For example, when the route type A (7B) is a subway route that generates a lot of noise such as a subway, it is difficult to listen to a song with a weak attack sound such as a flute solo. The music composed mainly of the sound of a strong percussion instrument is classified as the proper music 7F. For example, in route type B (7C) where the interior of the vehicle is relatively quiet and can be relaxed, such as the Shinkansen, music that can be more relaxed is classified as appropriate music 7F. These classifications are performed for each individual music piece, or when the music piece is reproduced for the first time by the voice generation apparatus 1, the voice generation apparatus 1 automatically classifies the music piece according to a predetermined standard.

  The display device 15 is display means for displaying various information transmitted from the player control device 2. The display device 15 is integrally attached to the sound generation device 1 and is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like.

  The display device 15 displays voice data, timetable information 3, route environment information 7A, and the like. Here, in the case of displaying audio data (audio converted into electronic data), the audio information storage device 14 is referred to by the player control device 2, and the title, artist name, album name, genre, etc. of each audio data are displayed. Are extracted as text data and displayed on the display device 15. Similarly, the text data is displayed on the display device 15 when displaying the timetable information 3, the route environment information 7A, and the like.

  The voice conversion unit 16 is configured and functions to perform the following operations. First, route information stored in the route environment information recording device 7 is received via the player control device 2. Then, the route information is converted into voice. The voice conversion unit 16 serves as information voice means and voice control means.

  The selection button 17 is a button operated by a user for selecting information regarding audio data displayed on the display device 15 and determining audio data to be reproduced. This button is a so-called cross key that is attached to the sound generator 1 as one body and can move the selection area in multiple directions. This selection button 17 becomes a selection means. The selection button 17 constitutes an utterance determination unit and a display determination unit. The selection button 17 is also used when selecting a desired item from various menus displayed on the display device 15.

  The route-specific music selection unit 18 is configured and functions to perform the following operations. The route-specific music selection unit 18 first acquires a group of appropriate music 7F stored in the route information storage device 7 via the player control device 2. Then, a group corresponding to the group is selected via the player control device 2 from the group shown in FIG. And the index which the selected group has is acquired.

  Then, the player control device 2 sequentially extracts the audio data with the index from the audio storage device 13, and the audio output device 12 sequentially generates the audio of the audio data. Here, the route-specific music selection unit 18 constitutes a generation target changing unit.

(Operation and control of sound generator)
The sound generation device 1 is operated and controlled mainly by processing performed by the player control device 2. Hereinafter, the operation and control of the sound generator 1 are performed to listen to the process of specifying route information from the train timetable information 3, the process of changing the volume level, the process of displaying the timetable information, the timetable information, etc. The process and the process of selecting a suitable music based on the route information will be described separately. Note that the process of changing the volume level, the process of displaying timetable information, the process of listening to timetable information, etc., and the process of selecting a suitable piece of music based on the route information are preceded by the train timetable. The process is executed on the assumption that the process of specifying the route information from the information 3 has been completed.

(Process to identify route information from train timetable information)
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a program for executing processing for specifying route information from the train timetable information 3. First, using a mobile phone that is a communication device 4, the timetable information 3 of the public transportation that the user intends to use is received as data from a timetable data supplier, and the player control device 2 acquires it. (Step S101). This step becomes part of the information acquisition step. Then, the player control device 2 stores the timetable information 3 in the timetable storage device 5 (step S102).

  Then, the player control device 2 acquires the current date and time data from the time management unit 8 (step S103). This step is also part of the information acquisition step. Hereinafter, the same applies to the step of acquiring the current date and time data. Further, the player control device 2 acquires the timetable information 3 from the timetable storage device 5, collates the timetable information 3 with the data of the current date and time, and uses the route that the user intends to use from now on or the current use. A route is identified (step S104).

  Then, the player control device 2 retrieves the route information of the identified route from the route environment information storage device 7, and identifies the route information to be referred to in the subsequent processing (step S105).

(Process to change volume level)
FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a program that executes a process of changing the volume level value of the sound generation device 1 in accordance with the level of ambient noise. First, the player control device 2 acquires information on the current date and time from the time management unit 8, and determines whether the current date and time is crowded based on a predetermined standard (step S201).

  If it is congested (Yes), the player control device 2 refers to the value of the congested level 7E of the route information specified earlier from the route environment information storage device 7 (step S202). This step is also part of the information acquisition step. Then, the player control device 2 operates the volume level control / synthesis unit 9 every predetermined time in consideration of the current date and time information acquired from the time management unit 8 and the timetable information 3 of the timetable storage device 5. A volume level is set (step S204).

  If it is not busy (No), it is acquired from the route environment information storage device 7 by referring to the value of the noise level 7D of the route information specified earlier (step S203). Then, the player control device 2 considers the current date and time information acquired from the time management unit 8 and the timetable information 3 of the timetable storage device 5, and the volume level control / synthesis unit 9 sets the volume level every predetermined time. Setting is made (step S204).

  Then, the player control device 2 outputs the music stored in the audio storage device 13 by the audio output device 12 based on the set volume level (step S205).

  In the above processing, the player control device 2 considers the current date and time information and the timetable information 3, and sets the volume level in the volume level control / synthesis unit 9 (step S204). This consideration is detailed. By checking the current date and time information and the timetable information 3, the player control device 2 can grasp the current position of the user and the running situation of the train. Therefore, for example, when the train is running, it is considered that the noise is loud, so the volume level is set high. Also, when the train is stopped or when changing trains, the volume level is set low because the noise is considered low. As described above, in order to change the volume level to be sequentially set, the processes up to step S204 and step S205 are repeated many times at predetermined time intervals.

(Process to display timetable information etc.)
A part of FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a program that executes processing for displaying timetable information and the like. First, the player control device 2 acquires the previously stored timetable information 3 and the current date and time information acquired from the time management unit 8 from the timetable storage device 5 (step S301).

  When “Setting” is selected by the selection button 17 from the initial menu screen of the display device 15 shown in FIG. 8A, the screen shown in FIG. 8B is displayed, and timetable information and the like to be described later are displayed. Whether or not (“ON”, “OFF”) can be selected by the selection button 17. By selecting “ON”, it is set to display timetable information and the like. In addition, by selecting “OFF”, the timetable information and the like are set not to be displayed.

  When the display setting is turned on (step S302), the acquired information and information derived from the information (hereinafter, both information are collectively referred to as timetable information) on the display device 15 shown in FIG. .) Is displayed (step S303). This step is an information display step. Moreover, timetable information etc. become a part of information regarding public transportation. Here, the acquired information is the timetable information 3 and the current date and time information (step S301). The information derived from the acquired information is the current date and time information and the user current position information derived from the timetable information 3, or the information indicating that the destination is approaching, derived from the user current position. is there. In step S303, the current date and time information is acquired from the time management unit 8 at predetermined intervals. If the display setting is not turned on (when turned off), the acquired information is not displayed.

  Specific examples of this display are shown in FIGS. When the user selects “SETTING” by using the selection button 17 from the initial menu screen of the display device 15 shown in FIG. 8A, the screen shown in FIG. 8B is displayed and whether the timetable information is displayed. You can choose whether or not. By setting this selection to “ON”, the screen shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. This display content is timetable information 3, which uses route 1 from station A to station C, then uses route 2 from station C to station B, and departure times of station A and station C. This is the arrival time at station B. Then, the current date and time information and the timetable information 3 are collated to grasp the current position of the user, and when the destination approaches, that fact and the current date and time (timetable information and the like) are displayed. Here, the information indicating that the destination is approaching corresponds to the current position information of public transportation.

  The time when the destination is approaching and the current date and time are displayed are set based on the current date and time information acquired by the time management unit 8. As described above, in order to change the contents to be sequentially displayed, the processes in step S302 and step S303 are repeated many times at predetermined time intervals. That is, when the timetable information or the like is updated, the display content is updated each time.

(Process to listen to timetable information)
A part of FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a program for executing processing for listening to timetable information and the like. First, the player control device 2 acquires the timetable information 3 previously stored from the timetable storage device 5 and the current date and time information acquired from the time management unit 8 (step S301).

  When “Setting” is selected by the selection button 17 from the initial menu screen of the display device 15 shown in FIG. 8A, the screen shown in FIG. 8B is displayed, and whether or not the timetable information is output by voice. (“ON”, “OFF”) can be selected by the selection button 17. By selecting “ON”, the timetable information is set to be output as voice. In addition, by selecting “OFF”, the timetable information and the like are set not to be output as voice.

  Then, when the audio output setting is turned on (step S304), the player control device 2 operates the audio conversion unit 16 to acquire timetable information and the like and convert it into audio (step S305). In this conversion, a program for converting existing text data into speech is used. Then, the player control device 2 operates the volume level control / synthesis unit 9 to synthesize the sound and the music stored in the currently output sound storage device 13 to create a synthesized sound (step S306). ). Steps S305 and S306 are information voice means control steps. Here, the timetable information and the like have the same contents as the timetable information and the like in the processing for displaying the timetable information and the like described above. Further, the method for acquiring the timetable information and the like is the same as the method for displaying the timetable information and the like described above. For example, in step S305, information on the current date and time is acquired from the time management unit 8 every predetermined time. Then, the synthesized sound is output by the audio output device 12 shown in FIG. 1 (step S307). When the audio output setting is not turned on (when turned off), the acquired information is not outputted as a sound.

  The time for outputting the sound is set based on the current time information acquired by the time management unit 8. The contents of the voice to be output are timetable information such as the current position (station name) each time approaching each stop station, or the current position (station name) when approaching the destination, based on information on the current date and time. When changing trains, the route type of the next train and the departure time or the time until the departure time are added to the audio content. As described above, since the timetable information to be output differs depending on the time when the sound is output, the processing from step S304 to step S307 is repeated many times at predetermined time intervals. That is, whenever the timetable information or the like is updated, the voice content is updated and a synthesized sound is generated.

(Process to select suitable music based on route information)
FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a program that executes processing for selecting a suitable music piece based on route information. First, the player control device 2 acquires from the route environment information storage device 7 by referring to the group of appropriate music 7F of the route information previously identified in step S105 (step S401). This step is also part of the information acquisition step. And based on the group of the acquired appropriate music 7F, the related table shown in FIG. 4 is referred (step S402). Then, a song list (a list of song indexes) corresponding to the group of the suitable songs 7F is acquired using the related table (step S403).

  Then, a music address (FIG. 3D) of the voice storage device 13 is acquired based on the list, and music data is acquired from the voice storage device 13 by tracing the address (step S404). The music is sequentially output by the audio output device 12 via the player control device 2 (step S405). If the song list acquired in step S403 has a plurality of songs, the output of the song in the audio output device 12 is repeated until the plurality of songs are output (step S406). When the music has been output, the process ends.

(Main effects of this form)
As described above, the voice utterance device 1 of the present embodiment includes the timetable storage device 5 and route environment information storage device 7 that store information related to public transportation, the voice output device 12 that generates voice, and the transportation facility. And a sound volume level control / synthesis unit 9 for controlling the sound generated by the sound output device 12 based on the information on Therefore, it is possible to execute processing such as changing the volume level by the volume level control / synthesizing unit 9, and automatically generate a sound according to, for example, changes in noise generated from the train such as train running noise and noise in the hustle and bustle. The volume level value of 1 changes. Then, it becomes difficult for the middle part or the like of the music to be inaudible without taking time and effort to perform operations such as volume level.

  Moreover, since the voice utterance apparatus 1 of this embodiment has the voice conversion unit 16, information on the type of public transportation such as timetable information, current position information on public transportation, and timetable on public transportation. It is possible to execute processing for listening to information, and even when an in-car announcement cannot be heard because the voice generator 1 is used, it is possible to grasp where the person is currently and to comfortably generate the voice generator 1. Can be used.

  In addition, since the route-specific music selection unit 18 is provided, it is possible to execute a process of selecting a suitable music based on the route information, and an appropriate music is automatically selected according to the transportation system or congestion situation used by the user. Therefore, the sound generator 1 can be comfortably used. In particular, in this embodiment, since each voice of voice data grouped corresponding to information on public transportation is generated sequentially, a plurality of proper voices (proper music 7F) are generated. Can be made.

  In this embodiment, the timetable storage device 5 and the route environment information storage device 7 that store information related to public transportation, the display device 15 that displays information related to transportation, and the audio output device 12 that generates sound. Have. Therefore, it is possible to execute the process of displaying timetable information, and even when the user cannot hear the announcement in the vehicle because the sound generator 1 is used, it is possible to grasp the current position of the user, The sound generator 1 can be used comfortably.

  The display device 15 displays at least one of the type of public transportation, the current location information of public transportation, and the timetable information 3 of public transportation, thereby improving the comfort described above. Obtainable.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the voice utterance device 1 of this embodiment determines whether or not information related to public transportation is generated by the voice output device 12, and displays information related to public transportation on the display device 15. Has a selection button 17 for determining whether or not to display. Therefore, for example, in the case of a train that is used almost daily for commuting, the user already knows the timetable information, etc., so the timetable information etc. is not intentionally voiced or displayed and is not usually used on business trips etc. When using a train, the route information can be used as a voice or displayed.

  Information on public transportation includes timetable information 3 of public transportation, information on types of public transportation (route type A (7B), route type B (7C), etc.), or public transportation By using at least one of the noise information (noise level 7D, congestion level 7E, etc.), the user can obtain information sufficient to obtain the above-mentioned comfort.

  In addition, information relating to public transportation such as timetable information 3 is acquired via a mobile phone, a computer with a communication function, or the like, which is a communication device 4 that exists separately from the sound generation device 1. The configuration of 1 can be simplified. Moreover, since the structure of the sound generator 1 can be simplified, the sound generator 1 can be downsized.

(Other forms)
The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  In the above-described form, when obtaining the timetable information 3 in the process of specifying the route information from the train timetable information 3, the boarding station and the destination are input using the database of the timetable data supplier. The route is searched, and the data of the route selected by the user from the obtained search result is obtained as the timetable information 3. However, this method is not adopted. For example, the user designates a train to be boarded, and from the timetable data supplier, in that train, the time to move between the stop stations and the time to stop at each stop station respectively. You may employ | adopt the method of acquiring the information of the content of how many minutes. The timetable information 3 can also be obtained by this method. According to this method, even if the train schedule is disturbed, the timetable information 3 that is realistic can be obtained after the normal operation is started.

  Another method of obtaining the timetable information 3 is a method of specifying the current position of the user by using, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) and automatically inputting the nearest station as a departure station. Then, using the timetable data supplier's database, the destination can be input and the route can be searched to obtain the timetable information 3. In this method, since the user can omit the input of the departure station information that was input during the process of specifying the route information from the train timetable information 3, the burden on the user can be reduced.

  The timetable information 3 in the form described above is acquired by receiving the timetable information 3 of the public transportation that the user intends to use from the timeline data supplier via the communication device 4 as data from the timetable data supplier. Yes. However, the timetable information 3 may be stored in the timetable storage device 5 in advance without being acquired by the communication device 4. When the timetable information 3 is stored in the timetable storage device 5 in advance, the communication device 4 is not necessary. If the timetable information 3 is stored in the timetable storage device 5 in advance, it is advantageous when the voice generator 1 is used in a subway or depopulated area where the communication environment is not sufficiently maintained. In addition, by receiving data from the timetable data supplier every time the communication device 4 uses it, the storage capacity of the timetable storage device 5 can be reduced, and it is possible to respond promptly to timetable revisions and the like.

  In the above-described form, the once acquired timetable information 3 can be reused. However, the timetable information 3 may be deleted every time it is used. By doing so, the capacity of the timetable storage device 5 can be kept small.

  In the process of changing the volume level in the above-described form, the congestion level 7E is handled as one fixed value. That is, in step S201 of FIG. 4, whether or not it is congested is selected by one of two options, and the volume level is set according to a preset congestion level 7E. However, as the congestion level 7E, a more fragmented value may be prepared in advance so that any of the fragmented congestion level 7E can be selected based on the current date and time information. Further, without setting the noise level 7D and the congestion level 7E in advance, the sound generator 1 is provided with a noise sensor or the like, and the sound volume output from the sound output device 12 based on the detected noise level. A level may be set. In this way, the volume level from the audio output device 12 can be set after grasping the magnitude of noise that is more realistic.

  In the process of displaying the timetable information and the like in the above-described form, various information can be displayed on the display device 15 in addition to the timetable information shown in FIG. For example, the current date and time information may be acquired from the time management unit 8 at 1-second intervals, and the current date and time information may be displayed together with the timetable information 3. Moreover, in the display of FIG. 9, you may acquire the arrival time to C station from the timetable information 3, and may display it. In addition, since the current location of the user can be grasped by collating the current date and time information and the timetable information 3, the current location of the user (for example, a station name or the like) may be displayed. Furthermore, information on the music being output may be displayed together with information on public transportation.

  In the above-described form, in the process for displaying timetable information and the process for listening to timetable information, the information to be displayed or output as synthesized sound is timetable information or the like. However, the information output as display or synthesized sound can be reduced to the minimum necessary, and the burden on the player control device 2 can be reduced. For example, among the route information specified from the timetable information 3 and the current date and time information, only the information on the route type A (7B) and the route type B (7C) (the type of public transportation) is displayed or synthesized as sound. Can be output. If only this information is available, the user may be satisfied. In this case, the process of repeating steps S302 and S303 or the process of repeating steps S304 to S307 can be omitted, and the processing load on the player control device 2 can be reduced.

  In the process for listening to the timetable information and the like in the above-described form, in step S306, the timetable information converted into voice data and the voice stored in the voice storage device 13 are synthesized. Instead, while the timetable information or the like is output as sound, it is possible to perform processing such as temporarily stopping playback of the playback music or reducing the playback volume level of the playback music. In addition, as in step S305, the timetable information or the like is not converted into audio data, and for example, when the user approaches the destination, the reproduction volume level of the reproduced music is reduced, and the in-car announcement can be heard. You may do it.

  In the above-described form, the public transportation is a train, but the public transportation may be a bus, a subway, a bullet train, an airplane, or the like in addition to the train. These public transportation facilities are preferred because they arrive and depart according to a predetermined timetable and the timetable information 3 can be obtained.

  In addition, a mobile phone is used as the communication device 4 having the above-described form. However, instead of the cellular phone, a computer with a communication function and other devices having a communication function may be used. The communication device 4 may exist separately from the sound generation device 1 or may be integrated with the sound generation device 1.

  The timer of the time management unit 8 in the above-described form is mainly responsible for acquiring the current date and time information. Therefore, if the communication device 4 can acquire the current date and time information, the time management unit 8 Can be omitted. Even when not omitted, it may be operated to acquire accurate date and time information from the communication device 4 and correct the date and time information of the timer.

  Moreover, with the form mentioned above, the information regarding the public transportation acquired is the timetable information 3 and the route information shown in FIG. However, not limited to this, the information on public transportation to be acquired may be information on the deviation from the timetable in the event of a situation in which operation differs from the timetable due to natural disasters or accidents, for example. good. If the information regarding the deviation from this timetable is used, the timetable information 3 can be corrected, and the voice generator 1 can be used more comfortably.

  Further, the timetable information 3 is not always necessary. For example, using GPS, the current position of the user, that is, the current position information of public transportation, is acquired, the volume level is changed when approaching the destination, the timetable information is displayed, or the timetable Processing such as processing for listening to information or the like may be performed.

  Moreover, in the form mentioned above, the sound to be generated is music. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the generated voice may be news, sports broadcast, entertainment such as rakugo, various information program voices, distance learning lectures, and the like. Further, the sound generation device 1 may be a DVD playback device or the like in which video is displayed on the display device 15 of the sound generation device 1 together with sound. Furthermore, the sound generator 1 may be a device that does not have a storage medium such as a radio.

  In the embodiment described above, the display device 15 may be installed separately from the sound generation device 1. For example, the display unit 15 may be a display unit of a mobile phone or a computer.

  Further, instead of the selection button 17 (cross key) as the selection means in the above-described form, a pointing device such as a touch pad, a touch panel, or other selection means may be employed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the volume level control / synthesis unit 9 is shown as an example of the audio control means. However, the sound volume level control / synthesis unit 9 may be other means, for example, means for emphasizing a high frequency band when outputting music if ambient noise is large. Then, even if the surrounding noise is large, the user can easily listen to the music. Further, when the noise acquired by the noise sensor or the like is a high frequency noise, the user may make it easier for the user to listen to the music by emphasizing the bass when outputting the music. As described above, a means for changing the sound quality when outputting sound may be employed as the sound control means.

  In the above-described embodiment, a process for changing the volume level, a process for displaying timetable information, a process for listening to timetable information, and a process for selecting a suitable piece of music based on route information are performed. One or two of these processes may be executed. For example, only the process of changing the volume level may be executed.

  The sound generation apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured by installing a program that executes each process in the above-described form into a sound generation apparatus that does not execute these processes.

  In that case, a part of the storage area corresponding to the voice storage device 13 of the voice generation device of the installation destination can be allocated to the timetable storage device 5, the route environment information storage device 7, or the voice information storage device 14. The role played by the voice level control / synthesis unit 9, the voice conversion unit 16, or the track-specific music selection unit 18 can be assigned to the equivalent of the player control device 2 of the voice generation device at the installation destination. Therefore, the voice generation device 1 of the above-described form includes the timetable storage device 5, the route environment information storage device 7, the voice information storage device 14, the voice level control / synthesis unit 9, the voice conversion unit 16, and the music by route. Part or all of the selection unit 18 can be omitted.

It is a block diagram of the component which comprises the speech generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the route environment information table memorize | stored in the route environment information storage device of the audio | voice generating apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A)-(C) are the figures which show the state in which the information of a music is memorize | stored as a structure of a music library in the music information storage apparatus of the audio | voice generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (D) These are figures which show the state in which music data are memorize | stored as a music address in a music memory | storage device. It is a figure which shows the related table of a music with an appropriate music group used for the process which selects the suitable music based on route information which the program of the audio | voice generating apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs. It is a flowchart of the process which specifies route information from the timetable information of a train which the program of the audio | voice generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs. It is a flowchart of the process which changes the sound volume level which the program of the audio | voice generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs. It is a flowchart of the process for listening to the process which displays the route information, the timetable information, etc. which the program of the speech generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs. (A) is a figure which shows the initial menu screen of the display apparatus of the audio | voice generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (B) is displayed by selecting "setting" from the menu. It is a figure which shows a screen. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a screen displayed by setting “route information display” shown in FIG. 8B to “on” in the display device of the sound generation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart of the process which selects the suitable music based on route information which the program of the audio | voice generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Voice production apparatus 2 Player control apparatus (a part of audio | voice control means, a part of display means)
3 Timetable information (information on public transportation)
4 Communication device 5 Timetable storage device (information storage means)
7 Route environment storage device (information storage means)
7A Route environment information (route information, information on public transportation)
7B Route type A (type information)
7C Route type B (type information)
7D noise level (noise information)
7E Congestion level (noise information)
9 Volume level control / synthesis unit (voice control means, volume level changing means)
12 Voice output device (voice generation means)
15 Display device (voice data display means, part of display means)
16 Voice converter (voice control means, information voice means)
17 Selection button (selection means)
S101 Part of information acquisition step S103 Part of information acquisition step S202 Part of information acquisition step S401 Part of information acquisition step S306 Information voice means control step S303 Information display step

Claims (11)

  Information storage means for storing information about public transportation, sound generation means for generating sound, sound control means for controlling sound generated by the sound generation means based on information about the public transportation, A voice generator characterized by comprising:   As the voice control means, volume level changing means for changing the volume level output by the voice generating means, information voice generating means for generating information on the public transportation as voice by the voice generating means, and the voice generating means 2. The sound generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of generation target changing means for changing a target of the sound generated in the step.   3. The voice control unit includes the information voice generating unit and an utterance determining unit that determines whether or not the voice generating unit generates information related to the public transportation. Sound generator.   3. The sound generation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generation target changing unit sequentially generates each of the voices grouped corresponding to the information related to the public transportation.   An audio generation apparatus comprising: information storage means for storing information relating to public transportation, display means for displaying information relating to the public transportation, and sound generation means for generating sound.   6. The display means displays at least one of a type of the public transportation, current position information of the public transportation, and timetable information of the public transportation. The sound generator described.   7. The sound generation apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a display determination unit that determines whether or not the display unit displays information relating to the public transportation.   The information on the public transportation is at least one of timetable information of the public transportation, information on the type of the public transportation, or noise information on the public transportation. The sound generator according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   9. The sound generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the public transportation is acquired through a communication apparatus. At least one of information voice generating means for generating sound by the voice generating means, and information display means for displaying the information about the public transportation as information on the public transportation as voice A method for controlling a sound generation device for controlling a sound generation device having:
An information acquisition step for acquiring information relating to the public transport, an information voice means control step for controlling the information voice means based on the information relating to the public transport, and information relating to the public transport are displayed on the display. A method for controlling a sound generator, comprising: at least one of information display steps displayed by the means.   An information acquisition step for acquiring information relating to public transportation, an information voice means control step for controlling information voice generation means based on the information relating to the public transportation means, and information relating to the public transportation means are displayed on the display means. A program for a sound generator for executing at least one of the displayed information display steps.

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