JP2019151447A - Voice guidance device of elevator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a voice guidance device of an elevator capable of performing announce in plural languages so as to allow a user of each language to listen to the announce easily in a short period of time without lowering operation efficiency of the elevator.SOLUTION: A voice guidance device 1 comprises a control section 11 that controls a voice output section 20 provided in a boarding place or a car of an elevator to cause the voice output section to perform announce in plural languages simultaneously, and the control section 11 controls the voice output section 20 such that the announce by plural languages are made with voice using use frequency bands different from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments according to the present invention relate to a voice guidance device for an elevator.

  In recent years, globalization and universal support have been demanded, and elevators have adopted multilingual indicators and foreign language voice announcements. However, in the announcement, guidance for up to about two languages such as Japanese and English is the limit on the elevator operation efficiency due to restrictions on voice guidance time and door opening / closing time.

  In the future, as more languages are required for the Olympics, etc., announcements in multiple languages are required in as short a time as possible so as not to reduce the operation efficiency of the elevator.

  However, if voices in multiple languages are output simultaneously as they are, the user may not be able to hear the content.

JP 2007-186322 A

  The present embodiment has been made in consideration of such points, so that announcements in a plurality of languages can be heard in a short time without lowering the operation efficiency of the elevator, and users in each language can easily hear. It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice guidance device for an elevator that can be used for the following.

  The voice guidance device according to the present embodiment includes a voice output unit and a voice guidance device. The audio output unit is provided in an elevator hall or a car room. The control unit controls the voice output unit so as to simultaneously announce in a plurality of languages. The control unit controls the audio output unit so that the announcements in a plurality of languages are performed with sounds having different use frequency bands.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the audio guidance apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is a graph for demonstrating the operation example of the audio guidance apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the audio guidance apparatus by the 1st modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the audio guidance apparatus by the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the operation example of the audio guidance apparatus by 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the operation example of the voice guidance apparatus by the modification of 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the operation example of the audio guidance apparatus by 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the audio guidance apparatus by 5th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the voice guidance apparatus by the modification of 5th Embodiment.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment does not limit the present invention. In the drawings referred to in the embodiments, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof is omitted.

(First embodiment)
The elevator voice guidance apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a voice guidance device 1 for an elevator according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the voice guidance device 1 is mounted on an elevator 10 and can be used to make a voice announcement to a user 2 of the elevator 10.

  In the illustrated example, the elevator 10 includes a voice guidance device 1, a voice output unit 20, and a car 3. In addition to the configuration shown in the figure, the elevator 10 is installed in a hoisting machine installed near the upper end of a hoistway extending from below the lowermost landing to above the uppermost landing, and to the hoisting machine. It is provided with a rope that is suspended and has a car 3 suspended at one end and a counterweight suspended at the other end of the rope. The elevator 10 also includes an elevator control device that controls the lifting operation of the car 3 by controlling the hoisting machine, that is, a control panel, and a car door driving device that controls the opening and closing of the car door 31. The voice guidance device 1 may be incorporated in an elevator control device.

  The voice guidance device 1 includes a control unit 11. The control unit 11 controls the audio output unit 20 provided in the car room 32, and causes the audio output unit 20 to simultaneously make audio announcements in a plurality of languages.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the audio output unit 20 is composed of two speakers 21 and 22 arranged at the left and right corners on the car door 31 side in the car room 32. The specific mode of the number of speakers constituting the audio output unit 20 and the arrangement position thereof is not limited to the mode of FIG. The speakers 21 and 22 may have directivity indicated by arrows in FIG. 1, but in the first embodiment, the presence or absence of directivity of the speakers 21 and 22 is not limited.

  Specific modes of a plurality of languages used for voice announcements are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a language such as Japanese, English, Chinese, or Korean.

  Performing voice announcements in a plurality of languages at the same time means making voice announcements in a plurality of languages at least partially overlapping each other. Therefore, voice announcements in multiple languages start simultaneously and end at different end times, start at different start times and end simultaneously, start simultaneously and end simultaneously, and start at different start times. However, any of the cases where the latest start time of the plurality of languages is made earlier than the earliest end time of the plurality of languages is within the scope of the present disclosure.

  The control unit 11 controls the sound output unit 20 so that sound announcements in a plurality of languages are performed with sounds having different use frequency bands.

  In the example of FIG. 1, two control units 11 may be provided so as to correspond to the two speakers 21 and 22, respectively. That is, a different voice announcement system may be provided for each of the speakers 21 and 22. In this case, the two control units 11 can independently output voice announcement data in different languages to the corresponding speakers 21 and 22, thereby performing voice announcements in two languages through the two speakers 21 and 22. That's fine. However, in this case, the output timing of the voice announcement data of each language to the speakers 21 and 22 may be adjusted in advance between the two control units 11 so that the voice announcements in two languages are performed simultaneously. .

  Alternatively, in the example of FIG. 1, the control unit 11 may have a single configuration shared by the speakers 21 and 22. In this case, the control unit 11 frequency-separates the mixed data obtained by mixing the voice announcement data of the two languages into the voice announcement data for each language by the mixer, and each of the voice announcement data of the two languages separated by the frequency is speaker 21. , 22 may cause the speakers 21, 22 to simultaneously announce the voices in two languages. Alternatively, as an example, the control unit 11 converts the voice announcement data in monaural sound in two languages into LR stereo sound, and outputs the sound announcement data converted into stereo sound to the speakers 21 and 22, thereby , 22 may make a voice announcement. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3 to be described later, when there are three or more speakers, it is possible to obtain surround sound.

  Hereinafter, an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  First, the control unit 11 detects a voice announcement trigger (step S1). For example, the control unit 11 may detect a preset operation state of the elevator 10 such as arrival at the arrival floor or pressing of a destination floor button as a voice announcement trigger. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may detect, as a trigger, a voice announcement command output to the control unit 11 by the elevator control device in accordance with the operation state of the elevator 10.

  After detecting the voice announcement trigger, the control unit 11 selects the type of the voice announcement message (step S2). For example, the control unit 11 may select the type of the voice announcement message stored in the memory of the control unit 11 in advance in association with the operation state of the elevator 10. The type of voice guidance message may be, for example, floor guidance to notify the arrival floor, direction guidance to notify the direction of ascending / descending, door closing guidance to notify the door closing, and automatic voice guidance in case of emergency. .

  After selecting the type of the voice announcement message, the control unit 11 controls the voice output unit 20 so as to simultaneously announce the selected type of message in a plurality of languages having different usage frequency bands (step S3). For example, the control unit 11 outputs to the voice output unit 20 simultaneously the voice announcement data in multiple languages stored in the memory of the control unit 11 in advance in association with the type of voice announcement message. Voice announcements in multiple languages may be made simultaneously.

  Here, FIG. 2 is a graph for explaining an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 for an elevator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows main frequency bands, that is, used frequency bands for each language. As shown in FIG. 2, the languages A to D in each country have unique frequency characteristics and have different main frequency bands. For example, the main frequency bands of language A and language B do not overlap. The control unit 11 may use such language A and language B as a plurality of languages having different use frequency bands.

  According to the first embodiment, voice announcements in a plurality of languages are simultaneously performed with voices using different frequency bands, so that voice announcements in a plurality of languages can be made in a short time without lowering the operation efficiency of the elevator, and This can be performed so that the user 2 of each language can easily hear.

  In addition to automatic voice guidance during normal times such as floor guidance and direction guidance, it is possible to avoid anxiety during guidance in foreign languages by performing emergency voice guidance in multiple languages at the same time. it can.

(First modification)
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a voice guidance device 1 according to a first modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the example of the voice guidance device 1 in which the voice output unit 20 is configured by the two speakers 21 and 22 has been described. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the audio output unit 20 may be configured by four speakers 21 to 24 arranged at four corners in the cab 32.

  According to the example of FIG. 3, by using the four speakers 21 to 24, it is possible to make a voice announcement that can be heard more easily by the user 2 regardless of the position of the user 2 in the car room 32.

(Second modification)
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a voice guidance device 1 according to a second modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the example of the voice guidance apparatus 1 that controls the voice output unit 20 provided in the car room 32 and causes the voice output unit 20 to simultaneously make voice announcements in a plurality of languages has been described.

  On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 4, the control unit 11 controls the audio output unit 20A provided in the car room 32, and causes the audio output unit 20A to simultaneously perform audio announcements in a plurality of languages, and The voice output unit 20B provided in the hall 4 of the elevator 10 is controlled to cause the voice output unit 20B to make voice announcements in a plurality of languages at the same time.

  In the example of FIG. 4, the audio output unit 20 </ b> B provided in the hall 4 is composed of a plurality of speakers 23 and 24. The speakers 23 and 24 may be disposed, for example, in the vicinity of a landing button or in the vicinity of a landing door.

  According to the example of FIG. 4, not only the user 2 in the car room 32 but also the user 2 at the hall 4 can make an easy-to-hear audio announcement in a plurality of languages.

  Note that the audio output unit 20A in the car room 32 may make an audio announcement to the user 2 of the hall 4 when the car door 31 is opened. In this case, the audio output unit 20B of the hall 4 can be omitted. That is, there are two patterns of announcement output directed to the hall 4, the case where the announcement output is performed from the audio output unit 20B of the hall 4 and the case where the announcement output is performed from the audio output unit 20A in the cab 32. The audio output unit 20A in the cab 32 is provided. It is easier to start from the beginning because there is no need to attach a speaker to each floor hall 4.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described in which voice announcements in a plurality of languages are performed with different genders, ages, and voice colors (ie, voice qualities).

  In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 11 controls the audio output unit 20 so that audio announcements in a plurality of languages are simultaneously performed with sounds having different use frequency bands.

  On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the control unit 11 controls the audio output unit 20 such that audio announcements in a plurality of languages are performed with sounds having different gender, age, and voice color.

  Hereinafter, an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 according to the second embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  After selecting the type of voice announcement message, the control unit 11 selects voices having at least one of sex, age, and voice color different between languages as announcement voices in a plurality of languages (step S4).

  The selection of voices with different gender, age, and timbre between languages is performed by directly reading voice guidance data with different gender, age, and timbre between languages stored in the memory of the control unit 11 in the manufacturing stage. Alternatively, the voice guidance data stored in the memory of the control unit 11 may be adjusted or processed so that the sex, age, and tone color are different from each other.

  For example, when both the language B and the language C in which the frequency bands shown in FIG. 2 overlap are used as a plurality of languages, the control unit 11 corresponds to a woman so that the language B does not overlap with the frequency band of the language C. A voice in a high frequency band may be selected, and for language C, a voice in a low frequency band corresponding to a male may be selected so as not to overlap with the frequency band of language B.

  After selecting the announcement sound in multiple languages, the control unit 11 makes an audio output unit 20 so as to simultaneously announce the selected types of messages in multiple languages using the selected gender, age, and tone sounds. Is controlled (step S31).

  According to the second embodiment, voice announcements in which at least one of gender, age, and voice color is made different for each language are performed at the same time, so that announcements in a plurality of languages can be made in a short time without lowering the operation efficiency of the elevator. In addition, it is possible to make it easy for the user 2 of each language to hear.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment in which voice announcements in a plurality of languages are simultaneously performed by a plurality of speakers having different directivities will be described.

  In FIG. 1, the example of the voice guidance device 1 in which the voice output unit 20 includes a plurality of speakers 21 and 22 has been described.

  In the second embodiment, different directivities that are fixed in advance are set in the plurality of speakers 21 and 22 constituting the audio output unit 20. The specific mode of the directional speakers 21 and 22 is not particularly limited. For example, the speakers 21 and 22 may be parametric speakers that modulate and output the original sound with ultrasonic waves.

  The control unit 11 controls the plurality of speakers 21 and 22 so that voice announcements in different languages among the plurality of languages are simultaneously performed.

  Specifically, after selecting the message type of the voice announcement, the control unit 11 simultaneously announces the selected type of message in a plurality of languages set in different languages for the speakers 21 and 22. Thus, the speakers 21 and 22 are controlled (step S32).

  At this time, the sound announcement by the speakers 21 and 22 may be performed in a language having a different frequency band as described in the first embodiment, or as described in the second embodiment. You may perform by the audio | voice from which at least 1 of sex, age, and voice color differs between languages.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 according to the third embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 11 may control the speakers 21 and 22 so that the language A voice announcement by the speaker 21 and the language B voice announcement by the speaker 22 are simultaneously performed. .

  According to the third embodiment, voice announcements in different languages are simultaneously performed by the speakers 21 and 22 having different directivities, so that the volume received by the left and right ears is different without lowering the operation efficiency of the elevator. Therefore, it is possible to make a voice announcement that is easier to hear without being affected by the position of the user 2.

(Modification)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 according to a modification of the third embodiment.

  In FIG. 5, an example of the voice guidance device 1 in which the control unit 11 causes the one speaker 21 and 22 to make a voice announcement in one language has been described.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 11 may cause one speaker 21 and 22 to perform voice guidance in two or more languages in order.

  Specifically, the control unit 11 selects a message type of the voice announcement, and then selects a message of the selected type from a plurality of languages set so that the languages are different for the speakers 21 and 22. The speakers 21 and 22 are controlled so that voice announcements are simultaneously made in two or more languages (step S321).

  Next, the control unit 11 causes the speakers 21 and 22 to simultaneously announce the selected type of message in the remaining two or more languages among the plurality of languages set so that the languages of the speakers 21 and 22 are different. 22 is controlled (step S322).

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the control unit 11 performs a speech announcement of language A by the speaker 21 and a speech announcement of language B by the speaker 22 at the same time, and then performs a speech announcement of language C by the speaker 21. The language D voice announcement by the speaker 22 may be performed simultaneously.

  According to the example of FIG. 6, it is possible to make a voice announcement in a plurality of languages so that it is easier to hear.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a description will be given of a fourth embodiment in which a combination of speech that does not interfere between languages is selected and used for simultaneous announcement.

  In 2nd Embodiment, the control part 11 demonstrated the example of the audio | voice guidance apparatus 1 which controls the audio | voice output part 20 so that the audio | voice announcement by multiple languages may be performed with the sound from which a sex, age, and voice color differ mutually. .

  On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the control unit 11 selects a combination in which at least one of the used frequency band, gender, age, and voice color most interferes as the voices in a plurality of languages. A plurality of speakers 21 and 22 having different directivities are controlled so as to make a voice announcement.

  Hereinafter, an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 according to the fourth embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  After selecting the type of the voice announcement message, the control unit 11 selects a combination in which at least one of the used frequency band, gender, age, and voice color does not interfere most among the languages as the announcement voice in a plurality of languages (step) S41).

  Here, selection of a combination that does not interfere with the use frequency band may be performed, for example, by making the frequency bands used for the voice announcement out of the use frequency bands of each language shown in FIG. Alternatively, the control unit 11 is equipped with an equalizer, and by adjusting the speech of each language that overlaps the used frequency band so that the used frequency band does not overlap with the equalizer, select a combination that does not interfere with the used frequency band Also good.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 according to the fourth embodiment.

  For example, as shown in the first example of FIG. 7, the control unit 11 selects language A, low frequency range, and male voice as the announcement voice for the speaker 21, and uses the language as the announcement voice for the speaker 22. B, high frequency range, female voice may be selected.

  Alternatively, as shown in the second example of FIG. 7, the control unit 11 selects the language A, the low frequency range, and the male voice as the announcement voice for the speaker 21, and uses the language as the announcement voice for the speaker 22. B, select high frequency range, female voice, select language C, high frequency range, male voice as announcement voice for speaker 23, select language D, low frequency range, female voice as announcement voice for speaker 24 Audio may be selected.

  After selecting a combination of voices that does not interfere, the control unit 11 controls the speakers 21 and 22 to simultaneously announce the selected types of messages in a plurality of languages using the selected combination of voices ( Step S33).

  According to the fourth embodiment, by selecting a combination of voices that does not interfere, simultaneous announcements in a plurality of languages can be made easier for the user 2 in each language to hear.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment in which the language and directivity are adjusted according to the user detected by the camera will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a voice guidance device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. In the third embodiment, an example of the voice guidance device 1 in which different directivities fixed in advance are set in the speakers 21 and 22 of the voice output unit 20 has been described.

  On the other hand, the speaker 200 in the fifth embodiment is different from the speakers 21 and 22 in the third embodiment in that the directivity can be changed by the control of the control unit 11.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the voice guidance device 1 according to the fifth embodiment further includes a database 12 in addition to the control unit 11. The database 12 is incorporated in the elevator control device together with the control unit 11, for example. The database 12 may be provided in a server outside the elevator control device in a state in which the database 12 can communicate with the control unit 11 through a network.

  In the database 12, feature information indicating the feature of the user and the language of the user are registered in association with each other. In the example of FIG. 8, the feature information is a user's face image registered in advance. The feature information may be biometric information of the user other than the face image.

  Based on the database 12, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the user 2 detected by the camera 6 installed in the car room 32 is registered in the database 12. When the user 2 detected by the camera 6 is registered in the database 12, the control unit 11 uses the directivity toward the position of the detected user 2 for the voice announcement in the language of the detected user 2. Control the speaker 200 to do so.

  Specifically, the control unit 11 adjusts the directivity of the speaker 200 so as to face the position of the detected user 2, and then transmits the voice guidance data corresponding to the detected language of the user 2 to the speaker 200. Output to. In FIG. 8, an arrow illustrated between the speaker 200 and the user 2 indicates the directivity of the speaker 200 adjusted toward the position of the user 2.

  Hereinafter, an operation example of the voice guidance device 1 according to the fifth embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  After selecting the type of voice announcement message, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the user 2 detected by the camera 6 is registered in the database 12 (step S6).

  When the user 2 is registered (step S6: Yes), the control unit 11 selects a language registered in the database 12 in association with the user 2 as a speech announcement language (step S42).

  After selecting the language registered in association with user 2, control unit 11 directs the selected type of message to the position of user 2 detected by camera 6 using the selected language. The speaker 200 is controlled so as to make a voice announcement with directivity (step S34).

  On the other hand, when the user 2 is not registered (step S6: No), the control unit 11 simultaneously utters the message of the selected type in a plurality of languages having different usage frequency bands, as in the first embodiment. The audio output unit 20, that is, the speaker 200 is controlled so as to be announced (step S3).

  According to the fifth embodiment, by adjusting the language and directivity according to the user 2 detected by the camera 6, it is possible to make an audio announcement that is easier for the user 2 to hear.

(Modification)
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a voice guidance device 1 according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 8, the example of the voice guidance device 1 in which the control unit 11 causes the single speaker 200 to make a voice announcement in the language and directivity according to the user 2 has been described. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 11 makes a voice announcement to the plurality of speakers 200A and 200B in a language and directivity corresponding to each of the plurality of users 2 detected by the camera 6. You may let them.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

1 Voice guidance device, 10 elevator, 11 control unit, 20 voice output unit, 21 speaker, 22 speaker, 3 car

Claims (5)

A control unit for controlling an audio output unit provided in an elevator hall or a car room, and causing the audio output unit to simultaneously announce in a plurality of languages;
The said control part is the audio | voice guidance apparatus of the elevator which controls the said audio | voice output part so that the announcement by the said multiple languages may be performed with the sound from which a use frequency band mutually differs. A control unit for controlling an audio output unit provided in an elevator hall or a car room, and causing the audio output unit to simultaneously announce in a plurality of languages;
The elevator voice guidance device that controls the voice output unit so that the control unit performs the announcement in the plurality of languages by using voices having different gender, age, and voice color. The audio output unit includes a plurality of speakers having different directivities from each other,
The elevator voice guidance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of speakers so as to make announcements in different languages among the plurality of languages. The audio output unit includes a plurality of speakers having different directivities from each other,
The control unit selects a combination in which at least one of a use frequency band, sex, age, and voice color most interferes as an announcement voice in the plurality of languages, and performs the announcement by the voice of the selected combination. The voice guidance device for an elevator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the speaker is controlled. The audio output unit has a speaker capable of changing directivity,
The control unit is configured so that a user detected by a camera installed in the hall or the car room is based on a database in which feature information indicating a feature of the user and a language of the user are registered in association with each other. It is determined whether or not it is registered in the database, and if it is registered, the announcement in the language of the detected user is performed with directivity toward the detected user's position. The voice guidance device for an elevator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the speaker is controlled.