JP2017004231A - Electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic device with an additional feature of acquiring voice, which can be used by a user without concern even if the additional feature is configured to be activated by an act of the user on the electronic device.SOLUTION: A home electronic appliance 10 has a voice acquisition feature provided as an additional feature on top of main features of the home electronic appliance 10. The home electronic appliance 10 includes; a voice acquisition unit 15 configured to acquire voice and convert the acquired voice to an electrical signal; a voice acquisition control unit 11b configured to activate the voice acquisition unit 15 upon detection of a predefined event for triggering activation of the voice acquisition unit 15; and a notification lamp 16b that notifies an operational state of the voice acquisition unit 15 to a user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device having a function of acquiring sound as an additional function other than the main function as an electronic device.

  In recent years, as an additional function other than the main function as a home appliance (household electronic device), a function of acquiring a voice such as a microphone and recognizing the acquired voice has been developed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator that includes a voice recognition unit and that can perform recipe search only by voice by transmitting information recognized by the voice recognition unit to an external device. The voice recognition unit is activated when the door of the refrigerator is opened or when a human sensor detects that there is a person in front of the refrigerator. According to this, since it is not necessary to always operate the voice recognition unit, energy saving can be realized. Further, it is preferable that the voice recognition unit is not manually driven.

  Patent Document 2 also includes a refrigerator that includes an audio acquisition unit, and can acquire information outside the warehouse and transmit the information to an external device side by the audio acquisition unit so that the target person can be watched from a remote location. It is disclosed. The voice acquisition unit is activated when the operation panel of the refrigerator is operated or when a human sensor detects that there is a person in front of the refrigerator. According to this, it is possible to watch without the subject being aware of it and without burdening the subject.

  Furthermore, in the market today, when some kind of action occurs in a household appliance such as a refrigerator, such as when the door of the household appliance is opened, a specific button is pressed, or the operating state of the household appliance changes, it responds accordingly. There are also products that output voice from the voice output unit. Some household appliances that speak are connected to a server via a network and receive speech content from the server.

JP 2014-196847 A (released on October 16, 2014) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-070739 (released on February 21, 2014)

  However, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the user is not notified that the voice recognition unit or the voice acquisition unit has been activated in response to the user's action on the refrigerator. Therefore, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a case where anxiety is felt whether or not the spoken voice is definitely acquired and recognized until the home appliance responds to the utterance. Also, if you do not wish to acquire / recognize speech, there is no way to confirm that the speech recognition unit or the speech acquisition unit is not in operation. Sometimes it ends up.

  As described above, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, in addition to the main function as a refrigerator, a convenient additional function such as acquiring sound and using it for some reason triggered by the user's action on the refrigerator is installed. However, there is a problem in usability, and there is a problem that makes the user feel uneasy.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and its purpose is to make the user feel uneasy even if the additional function for acquiring sound is triggered by the user's action on the electronic device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device that can use the additional function without any problem.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device having a function of acquiring sound as an additional function other than the main function of the electronic device, and acquires sound. And an activation unit that activates the audio acquisition unit upon detection of occurrence of a predetermined event that triggers activation of the audio acquisition unit, and a notification unit that notifies a user of an operating state of the audio acquisition unit It is characterized by providing.

  According to the electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention, even if the additional function for acquiring sound is configured to be triggered by the user's action on the electronic device, the additional function can be performed without causing the user to feel uneasy. It is possible to provide an electronic device that can be used.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the remote control system containing the household appliance which performs voice dialogue concerning one Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the said household appliance. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the server contained in the said remote control system. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the voice dialog in the said household appliance. It is the external appearance perspective view of the refrigerator as an example of the said household appliance, and the enlarged view of an operation panel. It is the principal part perspective view in the state where the door of the refrigerator as an example of the household appliance concerning other embodiments was opened, and the enlarged view of the operation part in a warehouse. It is a principal part perspective view of the state where the door of the refrigerator of the modification was opened. It is a principal part perspective view of the state by which the door of the refrigerator of the other modification was opened. It is an external appearance perspective view of the state where the door of the refrigerator as an example of the household appliance concerning other embodiments was opened.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, it will be as follows if one Embodiment of this invention is described based on FIGS. Note that the present embodiment exemplifies a configuration in which a home appliance, which is an electronic device, acquires voice of a user's utterance and utters a voice conversation via a server included in the remote operation system.

(Configuration of remote control system 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a remote control system 1 including a home appliance 10 that performs voice conversation according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the remote operation system 1, a home appliance 10 (10-1 to 10-4), a server 20, and a communication terminal device 30 (30-1 to 30-3) installed in a user home 70. Are connected via the communication network 60. FIG. 1 shows a part related to a certain user home 70 in the remote operation system 1.

  The home appliance 10 is a network home appliance having a wireless communication function for connecting to the communication network 60 and communicating with the server 20. The wireless communication function may be incorporated in the home appliance 10 main body, or may be provided in a communication adapter externally attached to the home appliance 10 main body. The home appliance 10 receives a remote operation by the associated communication terminal device 30 via the server 20. The communication terminal device 30 is a smartphone or a tablet terminal in which an application for remote operation is downloaded.

  Moreover, the household appliance 10 is provided with the audio | voice acquisition part 15 (refer FIG. 2) mentioned later, and has a function which acquires an audio | voice as additional functions other than the main functions as the household appliance 10. FIG. When the home appliance 10 detects the occurrence of a predetermined event that triggers the start of the audio acquisition unit 15 such as opening the door of the home appliance 10 or operating a predetermined button of the home appliance 10, the home appliance 10 acquires a voice. The unit 15 is activated to obtain a voice spoken by the user, and has a voice dialogue function for uttering an answer to the obtained voice.

  In the present embodiment, the home appliance 10 transmits the acquired voice data to the server 20, the server 20 performs voice recognition to specify the content of the utterance, and the voice data of the answer based on the specified content is used as the home appliance 10. The structure which transmits to is illustrated.

  The home appliance 10 has a voice recognition function, and the home appliance 10 performs voice recognition to specify the content of the utterance, transmits the specified content to the server 20, and receives the voice data of the answer from the server 20. It is good. Or it is good also as a structure which implements until the voice data to answer as well as performing voice recognition in the household appliance 10 without going through the server 20.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10-1, the heating cooker 10-2, the air conditioner 10-3, and the washing machine 10-4 are illustrated as the home appliance 10, but the home appliance 10 having such a voice interaction function is illustrated. May be other household appliances such as an air purifier or a lighting device.

  The server 20 associates the communication terminal device 30 that enables remote operation with the home appliance 10, and registers and manages the combination. By registering the combination in the server 20, the remote control of the home appliance 10 by the communication terminal device 30 becomes possible.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the server 20 recognizes voice data transmitted from the home appliance 10, prepares response voice data based on the content of the specified utterance, and transmits it to the home appliance 10. It also has a function.

  The user home 70 is provided with a wireless local area network (LAN) that forms part of the communication network 60. The wireless LAN relay station 40 is connected to a communication network 60 including the Internet. The relay station 40 is a communication device such as a WiFi (registered trademark) router or a WiFi (registered trademark) access point. In the present embodiment, a configuration including the Internet is exemplified as the communication network 60, but a telephone line network, a mobile communication network, a CATV (CAble TeleVision) communication network, a satellite communication network, or the like can also be used.

  The server 20 and the home appliance 10 can communicate with each other via the communication network 60 and the wireless LAN relay station 40. The server 20 and the communication terminal device 30 can communicate with each other via the communication network 60. The communication terminal device 30 and the Internet in the communication network 60 are connected using 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), a home or public WiFi (registered trademark) access point, and the like.

(Configuration of home appliance 10)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the home appliance 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the home appliance 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a voice output unit 14, a voice acquisition unit 15, and an operation panel 16. The control unit 11 includes an audio output control unit 11a, an audio acquisition control unit 11b, and a panel control unit 11c.

  The control part 11 consists of computer apparatuses comprised by arithmetic processing parts, such as CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a dedicated processor, for example, and controls operation | movement of each part of the household appliance 10. FIG.

  The storage unit 12 stores various types of information used in the home appliance 10 and also stores voice data to be uttered downloaded from the server 20, voice data of answers in voice conversation, and the like. The communication unit (transmission unit, reception unit) 13 performs mutual communication with the server 20 via the wireless LAN relay station 40 and the communication network 60 under the control of the control unit 11.

  The audio output unit 14 includes a speaker or the like, and outputs audio based on audio data under the control of the audio output control unit 11a described later. The sound acquisition unit 15 includes a microphone and acquires sound under the control of a sound acquisition control unit 11b described later, and converts the acquired sound into an electrical signal.

  The operation panel 16 is used for a user to input an instruction to the home appliance 10 or to notify the state of the home appliance 10 (internal temperature, set temperature, etc.) under the control of the panel control unit 11c described later. User interface. The operation panel 16 is provided with an utterance button 16a and a notification lamp 16b. The notification lamp 16b is made of, for example, a three-color LED.

  The utterance button 16a accepts an utterance instruction when there is voice data to be uttered downloaded from the server 20. Further, in the present embodiment, the utterance button 16a also receives a start instruction or a stop instruction for the voice acquisition unit 15.

  The notification lamp 16b notifies the presence when the home appliance 10 has voice data to be uttered. Moreover, in this Embodiment, the notification lamp 16b notifies the operating state of the audio | voice acquisition part 15. FIG.

  The audio output control unit 11 a controls the audio output unit 14. When there is voice data to be uttered, the voice output control unit 11a causes the voice output unit 14 to send voice data when a predetermined event that triggers the utterance occurs or when the utterance button 16a is pressed. To speak. Examples of voice data to be uttered include data downloaded from the server 20 and data stored in the storage unit 12 since the delivery of the home appliance 10. The contents include various messages such as a message input from the communication terminal device 30 and a message notifying that the ice machine has run out of water.

  In the present embodiment, when the voice acquisition unit 15 is activated, the voice output control unit 11a sends the voice data notifying the activation of the voice acquisition unit 15 to the voice output unit 14 to utter. The utterance based on the voice data that informs the activation of the voice acquisition unit 15 is, for example, “haha / what?”. Similarly, when the voice acquisition unit 15 stops, voice data notifying the stop of the voice acquisition unit 15 is sent to the voice output unit 14 to speak. The speech based on the voice data that informs the stop of the voice acquisition unit 15 is, for example, “See you again!” Or “It seems that the communication state is not good!”.

  Further, when the speech button 16a is pressed while the voice output unit 14 is speaking, the voice output control unit 11a stops the voice output unit 14 and stops the speech.

  The voice acquisition control unit (starting unit) 11 b controls the operation of the voice acquisition unit 15, creates voice data of the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit 15, and transmits the voice data to the server 20 via the communication unit 13. is there. When the voice acquisition control unit 11b stops the voice acquisition unit 15 and a predetermined event that triggers the start of the voice acquisition unit 15 occurs or the utterance button 16a is pressed, the voice acquisition control unit 11b The acquisition unit 15 is activated.

  In the present embodiment, the “predetermined event that triggers the utterance” used by the voice output control unit 11a and the “predetermined event that triggers the voice acquisition unit 15 used by the voice acquisition unit 15”. "Is common. However, the trigger for utterance and the trigger for voice acquisition may be different.

  When the voice output unit 14 utters while the voice acquisition unit 15 is operating, the voice acquisition control unit 11b temporarily stops the voice acquisition unit 15 and starts again when the utterance is completed. In addition, the voice acquisition control unit 11b stops the voice acquisition unit 15 when a state in which voice cannot be acquired continues for a predetermined period, for example, 30 seconds. Furthermore, the voice acquisition control unit 11b stops the voice acquisition unit 15 when the utterance button 16a is pressed while the voice acquisition unit 15 is operating.

  The panel control unit 11 c controls the operation panel 16. In the present embodiment, the panel control unit 11c controls the lighting of the notification lamp 16b to notify the user of the presence / absence of voice data to be uttered and the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15.

  The panel control unit 11c turns off the notification lamp 16b, for example, when there is no voice data to be uttered and the voice acquisition unit 15 is stopped (non-operating state). On the other hand, when there is audio data to be uttered, the light is flashed in a predetermined first color (for example, pink) to notify the presence of the audio data to be uttered. Further, in a state where the voice acquisition unit 15 is operating (operational state), the voice acquisition unit 15 blinks in a predetermined second color (for example, green) that notifies the operation of the voice acquisition unit 15. The second color notifying the operation of the voice acquisition unit 15 has priority over the first color notifying the presence of the voice data to be uttered, and the panel control unit 11c does not have to speak even when the voice acquisition unit 15 is operating. Even if there is voice data to be spoken, the second color for flashing and lighting the voice acquisition unit 15 is activated.

  The panel control unit 11c turns off the notification lamp 16b while the voice output unit 14 is speaking (the voice acquisition unit 15 is stopped). The non-flashing lighting color is, for example, the first color when speech data to be spoken is being spoken, and the second color when speech is being activated or stopped.

  The voice output control unit 11a and the voice output unit (sound output unit) 14 constitute a notification unit in the present invention, and the panel control unit 11c and the notification lamp (light output unit) 16b also constitute a notification unit in the present invention. The

(Configuration of server 20)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the server 20. The server 20 is a server that manages each home appliance 10, and includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, and a voice recognition device 24 as shown in FIG. In addition, a voice providing function unit 21 a is constructed in the control unit 21.

  The control unit 21 is composed of, for example, a computer device including an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated processor, and controls the operation of each unit of the server 20.

  The storage unit 22 stores various types of information used in the server 20, and also stores text examples and the like that are referred to when the voice providing function unit 21 a described later creates voice data to be provided to the home appliance 10. The communication unit 23 performs mutual communication with the home appliance 10 and the communication terminal device 30 via the communication network 60 under the control of the control unit 21.

  The voice recognition device 24 recognizes voice data transmitted from the home appliance 10 and received by the communication unit 23 and converts it into a character string. The voice recognition device 24 is provided with a function of converting not only a character string but also a meaningful sentence.

  The voice providing function unit 21 a provides the home appliance 10 with voice data of an answer to the utterance acquired by the home appliance 10. The voice providing function unit 21 a creates the voice data to be provided with reference to the storage unit 22 or obtains it via the communication network 60. The voice providing function unit 21a transmits the created voice data to the home appliance 10 via the communication unit 23 and downloads it.

(Processing flow in voice dialogue)
The voice conversation process in the home appliance 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 11 always determines whether or not the utterance button 16a is pressed or whether or not a predetermined event that triggers utterance or activation has occurred (S1). At this time, the notification lamp 16b flashes and lights in the first color notifying the presence when there is voice data to be uttered, and is turned off when there is no speech data.

  If YES is determined in S1, the process proceeds to S2 and S9 to perform parallel processing. First, the case where the process proceeds to S2 will be described.

  In S2, if there is voice data to be uttered, the control unit 11 utters the voice data. In addition, the control unit 11 activates the voice acquisition unit 15 to perform an utterance (for example, “Hai / What?”) That notifies the activation of the voice acquisition unit 15. If there is voice data to be uttered, utterance notifying activation of the voice acquisition unit 15 is performed after the utterance is completed.

  When the process proceeds to S <b> 2, the notification lamp 16 b blinks in a second color that notifies the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15. If there is audio data to be uttered and already blinking in the first color, the blinking color is switched to the second color. In addition, even after the transition to the blinking lighting of the second color, while the voice output unit 14 is speaking, the second color is not blinking lighting, and when the voice output unit 14 finishes speaking, it returns to the second color blinking lighting.

  Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a voice such as a user's speech has been acquired by the voice acquisition unit 15 (S3). If YES is determined, the voice data of the acquired voice is created and stored in the server 20. Transmit (S4). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the answer voice data has been received from the server 20 (S5), and if YES is determined, this is uttered (S6). Thereafter, the process returns to S3, and the next voice acquisition is performed.

  On the other hand, if NO is determined in S5, the process proceeds to S7, and it is determined whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds has elapsed. If “YES” is determined here, the process proceeds to S8, the reception of the voice data from the voice acquisition unit 15 and the server is stopped, and an utterance notifying the stop (for example, “the communication state seems to be bad!”) Is performed. And then return to S1.

  On the other hand, if NO is determined in S3, the process proceeds to S9, and it is determined whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds has elapsed. If NO is determined here, the process returns to S3. S3 to S7 and S9 are repeated until YES is determined in S7 or S9. If YES is determined in S9, the control unit 11 stops the voice acquisition unit 15 and makes an utterance (for example, “See you!”) Notifying the stop (S10), and then returns to S1.

  Until the process proceeds to S8 or S10, the notification lamp 16b is flashed in the second color, and is not flashed in the second color while the voice output unit 14 is speaking. By proceeding to S8 or S10, the notification lamp 16b switches the blinking lighting color to the first color when the voice data to be uttered in S2 cannot be uttered, and turns off when the utterance is completed. . In the case where the voice data to be uttered cannot be spoken in S2, the utterance button 16a is pressed before the voice data to be uttered is uttered, and YES is determined in S11 of the parallel processing. This is the case.

  In S11, the control unit 11 always determines whether or not the utterance button 16a has been pressed. And if it is judged as YES in S11, it will progress to S12 and it will be judged whether voice output part 14 is speaking. If YES is determined here, the speech from the voice output unit 14 is stopped (S13), and the process returns to S3. On the other hand, when it is determined NO in S12, the control unit 11 stops the voice acquisition unit 15 (S14), and then returns to S1.

  In S14, as in S10, an utterance notifying the stop may be performed. Further, the notification lamp 16b is in a lighting state according to S2 to S9 until it shifts to S14, and when it shifts to S14, it becomes a lighting state according to S10.

(Configuration of refrigerator 10-1)
Here, the refrigerator 10-1 as an example of the household appliance 10 is demonstrated in detail using FIG. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the refrigerator 10-1 and an enlarged view of the operation panel 16. As shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerator 10-1 is provided with a vegetable room 41, a freezing room 42, an adjustment freezing room 43, an ice making room 44, and the like at the lower part, and a refrigeration room 45 at the upper part. The door 46 of the refrigerator compartment 45 is a double door opening type, and the vertically long operation panel 16 is provided on the open end side of the larger first door 46a of the two doors 46a and 46b.

  In addition to the speech button 16a and the notification lamp 16b described above, the operation panel 16 includes a connect lamp 16c that indicates a connection state with the server 20. The utterance button 16a and the connect lamp 16c are arranged at the upper part of the operation panel 16 so as to be at the height of the face of the user (general height user) standing in front of the refrigerator 10-1, and the utterance button 16a is It is placed below it.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the home appliance 10 according to the present embodiment, when the voice acquisition unit 15 is activated in response to the user's action on the home appliance 10, the notification lamp 16b By confirming the lighting state, the user can confirm whether or not the voice acquisition unit 15 is in an operating state.

  Therefore, the user can interact with the home appliance 10 without feeling uneasy about whether the spoken voice is definitely acquired. Further, even when voice acquisition is not desired, it can be confirmed that the voice acquisition unit 15 is not in operation, and a conversation or the like is being heard by a third party, such as when there is no way to check. I don't feel anxious.

  As a result, in addition to the main functions of the home appliance 10, a convenient addition such as acquiring voice and using it for some purpose (in this embodiment, used for voice conversation) triggered by the user's action on the home appliance 10 The function can be used without making the user feel uneasy.

  In the present embodiment, since the voice output unit 14 notifies the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 by both the utterance and the lighting state of the notification lamp 16b, it can be known from both visual and auditory senses. The notification of the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 may be configured to be notified by either the lighting of the notification lamp 16b or the utterance.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part in a state where the door of the refrigerator 10A-1 as the home appliance of the present embodiment is opened, and an enlarged view of the internal operation unit. As shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerator 10 </ b> A- 1 has the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 on the main body 47 side of the refrigerator 10 </ b> A- 1 in addition to the notification lamp 16 b of the operation panel 16 provided on the first door 46 a. An internal notification lamp 50 for notification is provided. The method of notifying the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 by the internal notification lamp 50 is the same as that of the notification lamp 16b, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  The internal notification lamp 50 is mounted on an internal operation unit 52 provided in the first hinge cover portion 51 a of the main body 47. The first hinge cover portion 51 a is a member that covers a hinge mechanism that supports the first door 46 a so that it can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 47. The second door 46b is also provided with a second hinge cover portion 51b as its hinge mechanism. Since the 1st door 46a is designed so that it may come to the dominant hand side larger than the 2nd door 46b, opening and closing frequency is higher than the 2nd door 46b. Therefore, when the inside notification lamp 50 is provided in the hinge cover part, it is preferable to provide it in the first hinge cover part 51a of the first door 46a instead of the second hinge cover part 51b.

  The internal operation unit 52 has the above-described wireless communication function for connecting the refrigerator 10 </ b> A- 1 to the communication network 60 to communicate with the server 20. On the front surface of the internal operation unit 52, a communication power source 53, a wireless LAN button 54, a link button 55, a plurality of lamps 56 to 58 including LEDs for displaying a communication state, and an internal notification lamp 50 are provided. .

  That is, in the refrigerator 10 </ b> A- 1, the notification lamp 16 b of the operation panel 16 provided on the door 46 a and the main body 47 are provided as a notification unit that notifies the operating state of the sound acquisition unit 15 with light (including display). And an internal notification lamp 50 of the internal operation unit 52.

  As described above, the notification unit for notifying the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 by light is provided in both the front first door 46a and the main body 47 that is in front when the first door 46a is opened. The user can check the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 regardless of whether the first door 46a is opened or closed.

  A user who opens the first door 46a and checks the food in the cabinet cannot visually recognize the notification lamp 16b on the operation panel 16. Therefore, when the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 is concerned, it is necessary to rotate the first door 46a in the closing direction. However, as described above, the internal notification lamp 50 is provided so that the first door 46a can be opened, so that the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 can be changed while taking out food and the like from the refrigerator compartment 45. Can be confirmed.

  Further, as a more preferable configuration, when the first door 46a is closed, the lamp display of the internal operation unit 52 including the internal notification lamp 50 is turned off. In combination with this, when the first door 46a is opened, the display (not limited to the lamp) on the operation panel 16 including the notification lamp 16b is turned off. Thereby, useless power consumption can be suppressed.

  Further, by providing the inside operation unit 52 including the inside notification lamp 50 in the hinge cover unit 51, communication with the operation panel 16 provided in the first door 46a is facilitated. This is because the communication between the operation panel 16 provided on the first door 46a and the main body 47 uses the wiring passed through the hinge mechanism.

  In addition, the position where the inside notification lamp 50 is provided is not limited to the top surface portion where the first hinge cover portion 51a described above is provided, and is provided, for example, in the lowermost partition portion of the refrigerator compartment 47 as shown in FIG. Also good. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part in a state where the door of the refrigerator 10B-1 of the modified example is opened.

  Further, even when the inside notification lamp 50 is provided in the first hinge cover portion 51a, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the open ends of the first door 46a and the second door 46b are both positioned. It may be provided at the opening / closing position. By providing at the opening / closing position, it can be confirmed whether the first door 46a or the second door 46b is opened. (A) of FIG. 8 is a principal part perspective view in the state by which the door of refrigerator 10C-1 of the modification was opened, (b) is the principal part top view.

  In addition, although refrigerator 10A-1 was illustrated here as the household appliance 10 provided with a door, operation panel 16 including the notification lamp 16b is provided in the door also in the cooking device 10-2 etc. which open and use a door. Applicable to any configuration.

[Embodiment 3]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of a state where the door of refrigerator 10D-1 as the home appliance of the present embodiment is opened. As shown in FIG. 9, the refrigerator 10 </ b> D- 1 has a configuration in which a light guide plate light emitting unit 61 as a light output unit is provided at each open end of the first door 46 a and the second door 46 b. Edges on the open end sides of the first door 46a and the second door 46b provided with the light guide plate light-emitting unit 61 shine to notify the operating state of the sound acquisition unit 15. According to this, without changing the main body 47, only the device on the door side of the first door 46a and the second door 46b can be confirmed by the user operating the door regardless of the open / closed state of the door.

  Further, the light output unit may be a lighting device in the cabinet, and the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 may be notified by changing the color of the lighting that illuminates the inside of the cabinet.

[Embodiment 4]
The audio output control unit 11a, the audio acquisition control unit 11b, the panel control unit 11c, and the audio providing function unit 21a in the home appliance 10 and the server 20 described in the first to third embodiments are formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip). It may be realized by hardware using a logic circuit that has been configured, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  In the latter case, the home appliance 10 and the server 20 are respectively a CPU that executes instructions of a program, which is software that implements each function, and a ROM (Read CPU) in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by the computer (or CPU). Only Memory) or a storage device (these are referred to as “recording media”), a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program, and the like. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible, and the present invention also relates to embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is included in the technical scope. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

[Summary]
The electronic device (home appliance 10) according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a home appliance having a function of acquiring voice as an additional function other than the main function as the home appliance 10, and the voice acquisition unit 15 that acquires voice; When the occurrence of a predetermined event that triggers activation of the voice acquisition unit 15 is detected, the activation unit (voice acquisition control unit 11b) that activates the voice acquisition unit 15 and the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15 are set to the user. A notification unit (audio output control unit 11a and audio acquisition unit 15, panel control unit 11c and notification lamp 16b).

  According to the above configuration, even when the voice acquisition unit 15 is activated by the user's action on the home appliance 10, the notification unit notifies the operating state of the voice acquisition unit 15, so that the user operates the voice acquisition unit 15. You can check if it is in a state.

  Therefore, the user can interact with the home appliance 10 without feeling uneasy about whether the spoken voice is definitely acquired. Further, even when voice acquisition is not desired, it can be confirmed that the voice acquisition unit 15 is not in operation, and a conversation or the like is being heard by a third party, such as when there is no way to check. I don't feel anxious.

  As a result, in addition to the main functions of the home appliance 10, a convenient addition such as acquiring voice and using it for some purpose (in this embodiment, used for voice conversation) triggered by the user's action on the home appliance 10 The function can be used without making the user feel uneasy.

  In the home appliance 10 according to aspect 2 of the present invention, the notification unit further includes a light output unit (notification lamp 16b, light guide plate light-emitting unit 61) that outputs light, or a sound output unit (audio output unit 14) that outputs sound. Or both, and may be configured to notify using light, sound, or both.

  The household appliance 10 which concerns on aspect 3 of this invention is further provided with the door (1st door 46a) opened at the time of use of the said household appliance 10, and the said notification part contains the light output part which outputs light, The said light output part The (light guide plate light-emitting unit 61) may be arranged so that a user who operates the door can visually recognize both the opened state of the door and the closed state of the door. .

  In an electronic device that is used by opening a door such as a refrigerator, for example, when a notification unit is provided on the door, the user cannot check the notification unit, but with the above configuration, the user can check even when the door is open.

  In the home appliance 10 according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the light output unit (the notification lamp 16b and the in-house notification lamp 50) is provided on both the door and the device main body exposed when the door is opened. It can also be set as the structure arrange | positioned.

  According to the said structure, the structure which can confirm a notification part in any of the state where the door of the electronic device was opened and the state where the door was closed is easily realizable.

  The household appliance 10 which concerns on aspect 5 of this invention is further equipped with the audio | voice output part 14 which outputs the audio | voice based on audio | voice data, and with respect to the result of carrying out the audio | voice recognition in the said audio | voice acquisition part 15, It can also be set as the structure which outputs the voice used as a reply from the said audio | voice output part 14.

  According to the above configuration, for example, the user can activate the voice acquisition unit by an operation such as opening a door of the electronic device, and can have a conversation with the electronic device.

  The home appliance 10 according to the aspect 6 of the present invention includes a transmission unit (communication unit 13) that transmits the audio data acquired by the audio acquisition unit 15 to the server 20 via the communication network 60, and the communication network 60. A reception unit (communication unit 13) that receives voice data from the server 20 as a response to the transmission, and outputs a voice as a response from the voice output unit 14 based on the received voice data. You can also.

  According to the above configuration, since it is not necessary to install a voice recognition function in the electronic device, the cost of the electronic device can be reduced. In addition, since the answer is prepared by the server, it is possible to easily update the content of the conversation as appropriate or increase the types of conversations, thereby realizing a more effective and more natural conversation.

  The present invention can be used in an electronic device including the voice acquisition unit 15 as an additional function, and is connected to a communication network to transmit voice data to a server, or to download voice data from the server and output the voice. It can also be used for equipment.

1 Remote control system 10 Consumer electronics (electronic equipment)
10-1 refrigerator 10-2 heating cooker 10-3 air conditioner 10-4 washing machine 11 control unit 11a audio output control unit 11b audio acquisition control unit 11c panel control unit 13 communication unit (reception unit, transmission unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Voice output part 15 Voice acquisition part 16 Operation panel 16a Speech button 16b Notification lamp 20 Server 21 Control part 21a Voice provision function part 24 Voice recognition apparatus 30 Communication terminal apparatus 46 Door 46a 1st door 46b 2nd door 47 Cold room 50 Storage Inner notification lamp 51 Hinge cover part 51a First hinge cover part 51b Second hinge cover part 52 Internal operation part 60 Communication network 61 Light guide plate light emitting part

Claims (5)

As an additional function other than the main function as an electronic device, an electronic device having a function of acquiring sound,
An audio acquisition unit for acquiring audio;
When detecting the occurrence of a predetermined event that triggers activation of the voice acquisition unit, an activation unit that activates the voice acquisition unit;
An electronic device comprising: a notification unit that notifies a user of an operating state of the voice acquisition unit. A door that is opened when the electronic device is used;
The notification unit includes a light output unit that outputs light,
2. The light output unit according to claim 1, wherein the light output unit is disposed so that a user who operates the door can visually recognize the door when the door is open and when the door is closed. The electronic device described.   The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the light output unit is disposed in both the door and a device main body portion exposed when the door is opened. Provided with an audio output unit that outputs audio based on audio data,
The voice as a response is output from the voice output unit with respect to a result of voice recognition of the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit. Electronics. A transmission unit that transmits the audio data acquired by the audio acquisition unit to a server via a communication network;
A reception unit that receives voice data from the server as a response to the transmission via a communication network;
The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein a voice as a reply is output from the voice output unit based on the received voice data.

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