JP2021022841A - Voice control device, earmuff, and voice control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a voice control device, an earmuff and a voice control method, capable of controlling voice output while suppressing a stimulus to the auditory sense of an earmuff wearer.SOLUTION: A voice control device 10 can be connected to a microphone 50, and includes a wireless communication section 21, a voice output section 35, a power supply 32, and a processor P1. The wireless communication section 21 receives voice from the microphone 50. The voice output section 35 outputs voice from the microphone 50. The processor P1 switches between a lesson mode where voice from the microphone 50 is output from the voice output section 35 and a non-lesson mode where voice from the microphone 50 is not output from the voice output section 35, while the power supply 32 is ON.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to a voice control device, earmuffs equipped with the voice control device, and a voice control method.

Microphone systems and headphone systems used in classrooms, conferences, etc. are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-327623

People who are sensitive to hearing due to developmental disabilities, especially children, may wear earmuffs to prevent them from being affected by surrounding sounds and being unable to concentrate in their daily lives. For example, in a noisy environment such as a school, it is effective for sensitive children to wear earmuffs that protect their ears from noise.

However, for example, during class, it is necessary to concentrate on the teacher's voice. Ideally, it is desirable to create a state where you can concentrate on the teacher's voice while suppressing ambient noise.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a voice control device, an earmuff, and a voice control method capable of controlling a voice output while suppressing an auditory stimulus of an earmuff wearer.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the voice control device is a voice control device that can be connected to a microphone, and includes a communication unit, a voice output unit, a power supply, and a control unit. Be prepared. The communication unit receives the voice from the microphone. The audio output unit outputs audio from the microphone. The control unit switches between a lesson mode in which the sound from the microphone is output from the voice output unit and a non-class mode in which the sound from the microphone is not output from the voice output unit while the power is on.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the earmuffs include the voice control device and a main body portion. The main body has a housing and ear pads attached to the housing, and a voice control device is arranged in the housing so that the sound output unit emits sound through the ear pads.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the voice control method is a voice control method using a device that can be connected to a microphone, that is, receiving sound from the microphone, outputting sound from the microphone, and so on. It also includes switching between a lesson mode in which the sound from the microphone is output and a non-class mode in which the sound from the microphone is not output while the power of the device is ON.

According to the voice control device, earmuffs, and voice control method according to the present disclosure, it is possible to control the voice output while suppressing the auditory stimulus of the earmuff wearer.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of earmuffs capable of wirelessly communicating with a microphone in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the voice control device of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the microphone of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the voice control device of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the voice control device of the second embodiment. FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the microphone of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the voice control device of the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the voice control device and its function according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The voice control device built into the earmuffs in the present embodiment outputs voice so that, for example, when worn by a person with hyperacusis, it can concentrate on lessons and lectures at school while suppressing excessive stimulation to hearing. Control.

1. 1. First Embodiment 1-1. Configuration FIG. 1 shows the appearance of earmuffs 1. The earmuffs 1 include a headset 101, left and right housings 103, and left and right ear pads 105. The headset 101 is a portion that is attached to the crown of the earmuff wearer and supports the housing 103. The headset 101 may include adjusting means (not shown) that slides in the longitudinal direction according to the shape and size of the head of the earmuff wearer so that the ear pad 105 fits the ear of the earmuff wearer. The housing 103 (an example of the main body) incorporates a voice control device described later. The earpads 105 are formed to cover and fit around the earmuffs wearer's ears.

1-1-1. Configuration of Voice Control Device 10 As shown in FIG. 2, the voice control device 10 includes a processor P1, a wireless communication unit 21, a microphone input unit 31, a power supply 32, a mode changeover switch 33, and a voice output unit 35. , Indicator 37 and the like.

The processor P1 is composed of, for example, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The processor P1 executes the functions of the mode detection unit 11, the demodulation unit 13, the decoding unit 14, and the noise canceling unit 15 by executing a control program read from a memory (not shown).

The mode detection unit 11 switches the voice control device 10 to one of the two modes according to the signal from the mode changeover switch 33. The two modes are class mode and non-class mode. The mode detection unit 11 also turns on or off the indicator 37, which will be described later, depending on the mode.

When set to the lesson mode, the mode detection unit 11 turns off the noise canceling unit 15 and enables or turns on the demodulation unit 13. As a result, the voice received from the microphone 50 is output from the voice output unit 35.

When set to the non-class mode, the mode detection unit 11 turns on the noise canceling unit 15 and disables or turns off the demodulation unit 13. As a result, the sound received from the microphone 50 is not output, and the noise reaching the earmuff wearer's ear due to noise cancellation is suppressed.

The demodulation unit 13 demodulates the digital signal received by the wireless communication unit 21 to acquire a coded signal. The decoding unit 14 decodes the coded signal to acquire a digital audio signal. The demodulation unit 13 and the decoding unit 14 constitute an audio processing unit.

The noise canceling unit 15 analyzes a noise signal described later acquired from the microphone input unit 31 to generate an audio signal having an opposite phase (hereinafter, referred to as a canceling signal).

The wireless communication unit 21 includes an antenna and receives a digitally modulated signal which is voice from the microphone 50. The wireless communication unit 21 is designed to be applied to a predetermined frequency band (for example, 800 MHz band B type), and can be connected to the wireless communication unit 65 of the microphone 50 described later, which uses the same frequency band.

The microphone input unit 31 collects the sound around the earmuffs (hereinafter referred to as noise) and converts it into an electric signal (noise signal). The noise signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 23 and input to the noise canceling unit 15.

The power supply 32 supplies power to the voice control device 10. The power supply 32 is turned on or off by the operation of the earmuff wearer or another user. The power supply to the voice control device 10 may be either a primary battery or a secondary battery. The power supply 32 may be turned on and off by the user operating a button provided on the outside of the housing 103 of the earmuffs 1, for example. The other user is a person other than the earmuff wearer, and includes a person who supports the earmuff wearer, for example, a parent or a teacher. In the following, when it means an earmuff wearer and another user, it is simply referred to as a user.

The mode changeover switch 33 switches the voice control device 10 between the lesson mode and the non-class mode according to the operation of the user. The mode changeover switch 33 may be switched, for example, by the user operating a button provided on the outside of the housing 103 of the earmuffs 1.

The audio output unit 35 includes an amplifier and a speaker, is provided in the housing 103 shown in FIG. 1, and is arranged so as to emit sound via the ear pad 105. The decoded voice signal or cancel signal is converted into an analog signal by the D / A conversion unit 24, converted into a sound wave by the voice output unit 35, and output from the speaker. By outputting the decoded voice signal, the earmuff wearer can hear the voice from the microphone 50. By outputting the cancel signal, the noise around the earmuffs 1 is canceled out, and the noise reaching the ears of the earmuffs wearer is suppressed.

The indicator 37 includes a lighting unit such as an LED. The indicator 37 is controlled by the mode detection unit 11, and is turned on, for example, when the lesson mode is set, and turned off when the non-class mode is set. Thereby, the user can identify which mode the voice control device 10 is currently set to by looking at the indicator 37. The indicator 37 may be turned on when the non-class mode is set and turned off when the class mode is set.

When the microphone 50 is an analog type, the voice control device 10 may include a circuit for demodulating an analog voice signal instead of the processor P1 described above. Further, the wireless communication unit 21 of the voice control device 10 may use infrared rays or other communication standards (Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.).

1-1-2. Configuration of Microphone 50 The microphone 50 shown in FIG. 3 is, for example, a digital wireless microphone, and includes a microphone input unit 61, a processor P5, a power supply 63, and a wireless communication unit 65.

The microphone input unit 61 converts voice into an electric signal, amplifies it, and then inputs it to the A / D conversion unit 62. The amplified electric signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 62.

The processor P5 is composed of, for example, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The processor P5 executes the functions of the digital audio signal generation unit 51, the coding unit 52, and the modulation unit 53 by executing a control program read from a memory (not shown).

The digital audio signal generation unit 51 generates a digital audio signal by performing predetermined signal processing on the digital signal from the A / D conversion unit 62. The coding unit 52 performs compression processing, coding processing, and the like on the generated digital voice signal. The modulation unit 53 modulates the encoded digital signal to generate a digitally modulated signal.

The power supply 63 supplies power to the microphone 50. The power supply 63 is turned on or off by a user operation. The power supply to the microphone 50 may be either a primary battery or a secondary battery.
The wireless communication unit 65 includes an antenna. The digitally modulated signal is transmitted to the voice control device 10 via the wireless communication unit 65. The wireless communication unit 65 is designed to be applied to a predetermined frequency band (for example, 800 MHz band B type), and can be connected to the wireless communication unit 65 of the voice control device 10 that uses the same frequency band.

The microphone 50 may be an analog wireless microphone. Further, the microphone 50 may use infrared rays or other communication standards (Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.).

1-2. Operation With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the operation of the voice control device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

The power supply 32 is turned on by the operation of the user (S101). When the mode detection unit 11 detects that the power supply 32 is turned on, the voice control device 10 is set to the non-class mode as an initial state (S102). In the non-class mode, the noise canceling unit 15 is turned on and the demodulation unit 13 is turned off. At this time, since it is not necessary to receive the signal from the microphone 50, the wireless communication unit 21 may be turned off. In the non-class mode, the voice acquired from the microphone 50 is not output from the voice output unit 35, and the cancellation signal from the noise canceling unit 15 is output, so that the noise reaching the ear of the earmuff wearer is suppressed.

When the mode detection unit 11 determines that the mode switching operation has been performed in response to the signal from the mode switching switch 33 (Yes in S103), the voice control device 10 is set to the lesson mode (S104). In the lesson mode, the noise canceling unit 15 is turned off and the demodulation unit 13 is turned on. When the wireless communication unit 21 is turned off in the non-class mode, the wireless communication unit 21 is turned on together with the setting of the class mode. In the lesson mode, the sound from the microphone 50 is received and the sound is output from the sound output unit 35, but the cancel signal from the noise canceling unit 15 is not output. As a result, the earmuff wearer can hear the sound from the microphone 50. If the cancel signal is not output, the noise is not suppressed, but in the lesson mode, it is assumed that the earmuff wearer is taking the lesson, so the noise is less than usual, and the ear pad 105 (Fig. 1). It is considered that the influence of noise is small because it also has a soundproofing effect.

When the lesson mode is set, the mode detection unit 11 turns on the indicator 37.

After that, when the mode detection unit 11 determines that the mode switching operation has been performed in response to the signal from the mode switching switch 33 (Yes in S105), the process returns to step S102 and the non-class mode is set. Unless the power supply 32 is turned off (S106), steps S102 to S105 are repeated.

On the other hand, in step S103, when the mode switching operation is not performed (No in S103), the voice control device 10 maintains the non-class mode unless the power supply 32 is turned off (S107).

In the above example, after the power is turned on, the initial state is the non-class mode, but the class mode may be set.

1-3. Features, etc. The voice control device 10 according to the first embodiment has a lesson mode in which the voice from the microphone 50 is output from the voice output unit 35 and the voice from the microphone 50 is output from the voice output unit 35 while the power supply 32 is ON. Switch to non-class mode that does not output from.

In the lesson mode, the earmuff wearer can, for example, directly listen to the utterance voice from the teacher during the lesson acquired by the microphone 50 from the voice output unit 35 of the earmuffs 1. On the other hand, in the non-class mode, the sound is not output from the microphone 50, and the earmuffs can be soundproofed to suppress the hearing irritation of the earmuffs wearer. As a result, for example, it is possible to provide an environment in which it is easy for a child who cannot concentrate at school or the like due to hyperacusis to concentrate.

Further, in the non-class mode, by turning on the noise canceling unit 15, it is possible to suppress the noise to the ears of the earmuff wearer even in an environment where the noise is relatively loud outside the class.

2. 2. Second Embodiment The voice control device 210 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the voice control device 210 does not provide the mode changeover switch 33, and the mode detection unit 11 detects that the ON signal has been received from the microphone 50, and depending on the detection, the lesson mode or the non-class The mode is set. As shown in FIG. 6, the ON / OFF signal generation unit 55 of the processor P5 of the microphone 50 generates an ON signal and an OFF signal according to the ON / OFF of the power supply 63. The generated ON signal and OFF signal may be transmitted using, for example, a field or header of a predetermined frame used for transmitting an audio signal. Hereinafter, the operation of the voice control device 210 of the present embodiment will be described.

Similar to the first embodiment, the power supply 32 is turned on by the user's operation (S201). When the mode detection unit 11 shown in FIG. 5 detects that the power supply 32 has been turned on, the voice control device 210 is set to the non-class mode as an initial state (S202). In the non-class mode, the noise canceling unit 15 is turned on and the demodulation unit 13 is turned off.
In the first embodiment, the wireless communication unit 21 may be turned off in the non-class mode, but in the second embodiment, the wireless communication unit 21 is always in the class mode or the non-class mode. It is kept ON and waits for signal reception from the microphone 50. This is because, in the second embodiment, as will be described later, the mode switching is performed in response to the ON / OFF signal from the microphone 50.
The demodulation unit 13 is turned off in the non-class mode as in the first embodiment.

When the mode detection unit 11 detects an ON signal among the signals received from the microphone 50 (Yes in step S203), the voice control device 210 is set to the lesson mode (S204). When the lesson mode is set, the mode detection unit 11 turns on the indicator 37.

After that, when the mode detection unit 11 detects the OFF signal from the microphone 50 (Yes in S205), the process returns to step S202 and the non-class mode is set.

Unless the power supply 32 is turned off (S206), steps S202 to S205 are repeated. On the other hand, in step S203, when the ON signal of the microphone 50 is not detected (No in S203), the non-class mode is maintained unless the power supply 32 is turned off (S207).

In steps S203 and S205, ON / OFF of the microphone 50 may be determined by a method other than detecting the ON / OFF signal from the microphone 50. For example, the mode detection unit 11 may detect the ON state of the microphone 50 in response to the start of reception of the audio signal from the microphone 50. Regarding the OFF state of the microphone 50, for example, the mode detection unit 11 measures the time during which no sound is received from the microphone 50 by a timer (not shown), and when the time exceeds a predetermined time, The microphone 50 may be determined to be in the OFF state.

Similar to the first embodiment, the initial state after the power is turned on may be set to the lesson mode.

According to the voice control device 210 according to the second embodiment, in addition to the features of the voice control device 10 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to detect the ON state of the microphone 50 and automatically shift to the lesson mode. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the risk that the sound of the microphone 50 cannot be heard due to forgetting to operate the mode changeover switch 33.

3. 3. Other Embodiments As described above, each embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technique in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. It is also possible to combine the components described in the above-described embodiment to form a new embodiment.

(1) In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the voice control devices 10 and 210 output a predetermined notification sound from the voice output unit 35 prior to outputting the voice from the voice output unit 35. You may. For example, in the first embodiment, the notification sound may be output and then the sound from the microphone 50 may be output in response to the fact that the demodulation unit 13 is turned on in step S104 of FIG. In the second embodiment, the notification sound may be output in response to the detection of the ON signal from the microphone 50 in step S203 of FIG.
By outputting the notification sound before the sound from the microphone 50 is output, it is possible to alert the earmuff wearer that the sound will be heard from now on. Further, it is possible to prevent the earmuff wearer from being uncomfortable due to sudden output of voice from the voice output unit 35.

(2) In the first and second embodiments, the processor P1 suppresses the output level of the voice output unit 35 so that the sound from the microphone 50 is not suddenly heard loudly and causes discomfort to the earmuff wearer. Processing may be performed. For example, a compression process or a limiter process for reducing the dynamic range may be performed. In addition, control may be performed to gradually raise the output level of the audio output unit 35.

(3) The sound source input to the voice control devices 10 and 210 is not limited to the sound from the microphone 50, and may be another sound source, for example, a sound source used for class. In this case, for example, a computer device (not shown) used by a teacher such as a tablet terminal, a laptop PC, or a smartphone is a wireless communication unit that transmits and receives in the same predetermined frequency band as the wireless communication unit 21 of the voice control devices 10 and 210. To be equipped with. The voice of the microphone 50 is input to the computer device, the voice signal of the microphone 50 and another voice signal from the class sound source are mixed in the computer device, and the voice control devices 10, 210 are mixed via the wireless communication unit. It may be sent to.

Alternatively, the lesson sound source may be input to the microphone 50, mixed, and then transmitted to the voice control devices 10 and 210. In this case, the microphone 50 (FIGS. 3 and 6) mixes the voice input from the voice input terminal (AUX IN) and the microphone input unit 61 and modulated by the modulation unit 53 with the voice input from the voice input terminal. A mixing means (not shown) is provided. The voice mixed by the mixing means is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 65.
Alternatively, the voice signals of the computer device for the teacher and the microphone 50 may be transmitted to the voice control devices 10 and 210, respectively, and mixed by the voice control devices 10 and 210 by a mixing means (not shown).

(4) In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the voice control devices 10 and 210 turned off the noise canceling unit 15 when the lesson mode was set, but they may be turned on. Alternatively, a switch for turning on or off the noise canceling unit 15 may be separately provided.

For example, even during class, it may be noisy depending on the class format. In that case, even in the lesson mode, by turning on the noise canceling unit 15, it is possible to suppress the noise and obtain more concentration.

(5) In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the voice control devices 10 and 210 are wirelessly connected to the microphone 50, but are connected by wire via a device such as a receiver. May be good.

(6) Processors P1 and P5 in the voice control devices 10, 210 or the microphone 50 may include a processor composed of a dedicated electronic circuit designed to realize a predetermined function. The processor may consist of one or more processors. Further, the noise canceling unit 15 may be configured by a circuit different from the mode detection unit 11, the demodulation unit 13, and the decoding unit 14.

(7) The execution order of the processing of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4, 7, and the like is not necessarily limited to the description of the above embodiment, and the execution order may be changed or paralleled within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the invention. Can be executed. Further, when one step includes a plurality of processes, the plurality of processes included in the one step can be executed by one device or shared by a plurality of devices.

(8) The voice control method executed by the voice control devices 10 and 210, the computer program executing the method, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program is recorded are included in the scope of the present disclosure. The computer program may be acquired via a telecommunication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network typified by the Internet, or the like.

(9) The use of the earmuffs 1 provided with the voice control devices 10 and 210 is not limited to those described above. For example, even a person who is not sensitive to hearing can obtain effects such as improving concentration and being able to spend quietly by wearing earmuffs 1.

Further, the earmuffs 1 provided with the voice control devices 10 and 210 also include a product called a headphone.

The present disclosure can be used as earmuffs capable of outputting audio.

1: Ear muff 10: Voice control device 11: Mode detection unit 13: Demodulation unit 14: Decoding unit 15: Noise canceling unit 21: Wireless communication unit 23: A / D conversion unit 24: D / A conversion unit 31: Microphone input unit 32: Power supply 33: Mode changeover switch 35: Audio output unit 37: Indicator 50: Microphone 51: Digital audio signal generation unit 52: Encoding unit 53: Modulation unit 55: ON / OFF signal generation unit 61: Microphone input unit 62: A / D conversion unit 63: Power supply 65: Wireless communication unit 101: Headset 103: Housing 105: Ear pad 210: Voice control device P1: Processor P5: Processor

Claims (10)

A voice control device that can be connected to a microphone
A communication unit that receives voice from the microphone,
An audio output unit that outputs audio from the microphone,
The power supply of the voice control device and
A control unit that switches between a lesson mode in which the sound from the microphone is output from the voice output unit and a non-class mode in which the sound from the microphone is not output from the voice output unit while the power is on.
A voice control device. A microphone input unit that collects ambient sounds,
A noise canceling unit that executes noise canceling for the sound collected by the microphone input unit, and a noise canceling unit.
With more
The control unit turns on the noise canceling unit at least in the non-class mode.
The voice control device according to claim 1. Further provided with an operation unit that accepts an input for switching between the lesson mode and the non-class mode.
The control unit includes a voice processing unit that processes voice from the microphone.
When the control unit switches to the non-class mode in response to an input from the operation unit, the communication unit and the voice processing unit are turned off, and the control unit switches to the class mode in response to an input from the operation unit. , The communication unit and the voice processing unit are turned on.
The voice control device according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit
Keep the communication unit ON at all times
In the non-class mode, it is detected whether or not an ON signal indicating that the power of the microphone has been turned on has been received.
In response to the reception of the ON signal, the lesson mode is switched to.
In the lesson mode, it is detected whether or not an OFF signal indicating that the power of the microphone has been turned off has been received.
In response to the reception of the OFF signal, the mode is switched to the non-class mode.
The voice control device according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit
Keep the communication unit ON at all times
In the non-class mode, it is detected whether or not an ON signal indicating that the power of the microphone has been turned on has been received.
In response to the reception of the ON signal, the lesson mode is switched to.
If the sound from the microphone is not received for a predetermined time or more in the class mode, the mode is switched to the non-class mode.
The voice control device according to claim 1 or 2. Prior to outputting the sound from the microphone, the control unit outputs a notification sound via the sound output unit.
The voice control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. In the lesson mode, the control unit executes a process of suppressing the output level of the audio output unit.
The voice control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. With more indicators
The control unit turns the indicator on or off so that the user can distinguish between the lesson mode and the non-class mode.
The voice control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The voice control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
A main body unit having a housing and ear pads attached to the housing, and arranging the sound control device in the housing so that the sound output unit emits sound via the ear pads.
Earmuffs equipped with. A voice control method that uses a device that can be connected to a microphone.
Receiving audio from the microphone,
To output the sound from the microphone, and to switch between the lesson mode in which the sound from the microphone is output and the non-class mode in which the sound from the microphone is not output while the power of the device is ON.
Voice control methods, including.

Images