JP2021082802A - Neck-mounted device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a neck-mounted device in which electronic components such as batteries are placed in the right places.SOLUTION: The neck-mounted device worn around the neck of a wearer includes a battery 90, a circuit board 85 mounted with electronic components that are driven by power supplied from the battery 90, and a housing 32 in which the battery 90 and the circuit board 85 are stored. The circuit board 85 is disposed in the housing 32 so that it is positioned between the battery 90 and the neck of the wearer when worn. This prevents heat generated by the battery 90 from being transmitted to the wearer, thereby improving the wearing comfort of the neck-mounted device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a neck-mounted device worn around the neck of a user.

In recent years, wearable devices that can be attached to any part of the user's body to sense the state of the user and the state of the surrounding environment have been attracting attention. Various forms of wearable devices are known, such as those that can be worn on the user's arm, eyes, ears, neck, or clothing worn by the user. By analyzing the user information collected by such a wearable device, it is possible to obtain useful information for the wearer and other persons.

Further, as a kind of wearable device, a device that can be worn around the neck of a user to record a voice emitted by the wearer or the interlocutor thereof is known (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a voice processing system including a mounting portion worn by a user, and the mounting portion has at least three voice acquisition units (microphones) for acquiring voice data for beamforming. There is. Further, the system described in Patent Document 1 is provided with an imaging unit, and is configured to be able to image the front while being worn by the user. Further, in Patent Document 1, the presence and position of another speaker is specified from the image recognition result of the captured image captured by the imaging unit, the orientation of the user's face is estimated, and the orientation is determined according to the position and orientation. It has also been proposed to control the direction of the directivity of the voice acquisition unit.

JP-A-2019-134441

By the way, in the design of wearable devices, it is preferable to increase the capacity of the battery as much as possible in order to secure a long time for continuous wearing, but from the viewpoint of miniaturization and wearability of the device, the battery There are restrictions on the size and shape of the battery. In this regard, in the system described in Patent Document 1, since the mounting unit itself may have a curved shape, it is desirable that the battery is also a curved curved battery.

In addition, since a storage battery having a large capacity such as a lithium-ion battery generates a considerable amount of heat, it is necessary to pay attention to the place where the battery is arranged in the wearable device that comes into contact with the human body. In particular, neck-mounted wearables are worn around the neck, which is sensitive to temperature changes, so when a large-capacity battery is installed, the heat generated by the battery is not efficiently exhausted. , It causes discomfort to the wearer, and there is a concern that it will be difficult to continue wearing the wearer for a long time.

Further, when a phase battery is mounted on a curved unit as in the system described in Patent Document 1, it is required to manufacture a battery having a special shape suitable for the shape of the unit, and it is generally distributed. It is not possible to use a battery with a general-purpose shape. In this case, since the cost of the battery becomes high, there is also a problem that the selling price of the system becomes high.

Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a neck-mounted device in which electronic components such as a battery are arranged in a proper place.

As a result of diligent studies on means for achieving the above object, the inventor of the present invention basically inserts a circuit board on which an electronic component is mounted between the battery of the neck-mounted device and the neck of the wearer. As a result, it was found that the heat generated from the battery is less likely to be transmitted to the wearer. Then, the present inventor has come up with the idea that the above object can be achieved based on the above findings, and has completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention has the following configuration.

The present invention relates to a neck-mounted device worn around the neck of a user. The neck-mounted device according to the present invention includes a battery, a circuit board (printed circuit board) on which electronic components driven by receiving power from the battery are mounted, and a housing in which the battery and the circuit board are housed. To be equipped. The circuit board is arranged in the housing so as to be located between the battery and the wearer's neck when mounted.

By arranging the circuit board between the wearer's neck and the battery as in the above configuration, the heat generated by the battery is less likely to be transmitted to the wearer, making it easier to use the neck-mounted device for a long time. .. Further, even in the unlikely event of an abnormal situation such as thermal runaway of the battery, the circuit board can serve as a barrier to protect the neck of the wearer, so that the safety of the neck-mounted device can be improved.

In the neck-mounted device according to the present invention, the housing includes the first arm portion and the second arm portion that can be arranged at positions sandwiching the wearer's neck, and the first arm portion and the second arm portion thereof. It is preferable to have a flat main body portion for connecting the above to the back of the wearer's neck at a position corresponding to the back of the neck. Further, it is preferable that the battery and the circuit board are housed in the main body. The flat main body may have a flatness enough to accommodate a flat (non-curved) battery and a circuit board, and has a gentle curved surface according to the shape of the back of the wearer's neck. Even if it is, it is included in the "flat" mentioned here. By providing a relatively flat main body portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion in this way, a general-purpose flat battery that is generally distributed is mounted as a power source for the neck-mounted device. It is possible. This eliminates the need to use a battery having a special shape such as a curved battery, so that the manufacturing cost of the device can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the neck-mounted device according to the present invention further includes a proximity sensor at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck. In this way, by providing the proximity sensor at a position corresponding to the back of the neck of the wearer, it is possible to efficiently determine whether or not the neck-mounted device is worn. For example, when the proximity sensor detects the proximity of an object, the power of the neck-mounted device or the electronic component mounted on the neck-mounted device may be turned on.

The neck-mounted device according to the present invention preferably further includes sound collecting portions provided at one or more locations (preferably two or more locations) on each of the first arm portion and the second arm portion. In this way, by providing the sound collecting portions on the first arm portion and the second arm portion, respectively, it is possible to effectively collect the sound emitted by the wearer.

The neck-mounted device according to the present invention preferably further includes a sound emitting portion at a position corresponding to the back of the neck of the wearer. The sound emitting unit may be a general speaker that transmits sound waves (air vibration) to the wearer via air, or a bone conduction speaker that transmits sound to the wearer by bone vibration. May be good. Further, the sound output from the sound emitting unit may be emitted in a substantially horizontal direction toward the rear of the wearer, or may be emitted in a substantially vertical upward direction (or downward direction). Assuming that the sound emitting part is a general speaker, by providing the sound emitting part at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck, the sound output from this sound emitting part is in front of the front of the wearer. It becomes difficult to reach the interlocutors who exist in. As a result, it is possible to prevent the interlocutor from confusing the sound emitted by the wearer himself with the sound emitted from the sound emitting portion of the neck-mounted device. Further, in the form in which the sound collecting portion is provided on the first arm portion and / or the second arm portion of the neck-hanging type device, the sound emitting portion is provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's wrist. The physical distance between the sound emitting part and the sound collecting part can be maximized. That is, when the sound of the wearer or the interlocutor is being collected by the sound collecting unit and the sound is output from the sound emitting unit, the sound from the sound emitting unit is added to the recorded voice of the wearer or the like. It may be mixed. When the sound from the sound emitting portion is mixed with the voice of the wearer or the like in this way, it is difficult to completely remove it by echo cancellation processing or the like. Therefore, in order to prevent the sound from the sound emitting part from being mixed into the sound of the wearer or the like as much as possible, the sound collecting part is provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck as described above to collect the sound. It is preferable to keep a physical distance from the part.

It is preferable that the neck-mounted device according to the present invention further includes both or one of an imaging unit provided on the first arm portion and a non-contact type sensor portion provided on the second arm portion. By providing the imaging unit on the first arm, the front of the wearer can be effectively photographed. Further, by providing the second arm portion with the non-contact type sensor portion, for example, it becomes easy to operate the on / off of the imaging unit or other electronic components.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a neck-mounted device in which electronic components such as a battery are arranged in a proper position.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a neck-mounted device. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing a state in which the neck-mounted device is attached. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the position where the sound collecting unit is provided. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the positional relationship of the battery, the circuit board, and various electronic components housed in the main body. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the neck-mounted device. FIG. 6 schematically shows a beamforming process for acquiring the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the forms described below, and includes those which are appropriately modified by those skilled in the art from the following forms to the extent obvious to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a neck-mounted device 100 according to the present invention. Further, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the neck-mounted device 100 is attached. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing constituting the neck-mounted device 100 includes a left arm portion 10, a right arm portion 20, and a main body portion 30. The left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 extend forward from the left end and the right end of the main body portion 30, respectively, and the neck-mounted device 100 has a structure in which the device as a whole has a substantially U shape when viewed in a plan view. ing. When wearing the neck-hanging device 100, as shown in FIG. 2, the main body 30 is brought into contact with the back of the wearer's neck, and the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 are moved from the side of the wearer's neck to the chest side. All you have to do is hang it down and hook the entire device around your neck. Various electronic components are stored in the housing of the neck-mounted device 100.

A plurality of sound collecting portions (microphones) 41 to 45 are provided on the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20, respectively. The sound collecting units 41 to 45 are arranged mainly for the purpose of acquiring the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor. As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the left arm portion 10 is provided with the first sound collecting portion 41 and the second sound collecting portion 42, and the right arm portion 20 is provided with the third sound collecting portion 43 and the fourth sound collecting portion 44. .. Further, as an arbitrary element, one or a plurality of sound collecting portions may be additionally provided in the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the left arm portion 10 is provided with a fifth sound collecting portion 45 in addition to the first sound collecting portion 41 and the second sound collecting portion 42. The sound signals acquired by these sound collecting units 41 to 45 are transmitted to the control unit 80 (see FIG. 5) provided in the main body unit 30 to perform a predetermined analysis process. As will be described later, the main body 30 is equipped with a control system such as an electronic circuit and a battery including such a control unit 80.

The sound collecting portions 41 to 45 are provided in front of the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 (on the chest side of the wearer), respectively. Specifically, assuming that the neck-hanging device 100 is attached to the neck of a general adult male (neck circumference 35 to 37 cm), at least the first sound collecting unit 41 to the fourth sound collecting unit 44 However, it is preferable that the device is designed to be located in front of the wearer's neck (chest side). The neck-hanging device 100 is intended to collect the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor at the same time, and by arranging the sound collectors 41 to 44 on the front side of the wearer's neck, the wearer It is possible to appropriately acquire not only the voice of the person but also the voice of the interlocutor. Further, when each sound collecting unit 41 to 44 is arranged on the front side of the wearer's neck, the voice of the person standing on the back side of the wearer is blocked by the wearer's body, and the sound collecting parts 41 to 44 are directly affected. It becomes difficult to reach. It is presumed that the person standing on the back side of the wearer is not the person who is interacting with the wearer. Therefore, by blocking the voice of such a person, noise is generated by the physical arrangement of the sound collecting units 41 to 44. Can be suppressed.

Further, the first sound collecting unit 41 to the fourth sound collecting unit 44 are arranged on the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20, respectively, so as to be symmetrical. That is, a line segment connecting the first sound collecting unit 41 and the second sound collecting unit 42, a line segment connecting the third sound collecting unit 43 and the fourth sound collecting unit 44, and the first sound collecting unit 41 and the third sound collecting unit 44. A line segment consisting of a line segment connecting 43 and a line segment connecting the second sound collecting unit 42 and the fourth sound collecting unit 44 is a line symmetric shape. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the line segment connecting the first sound collecting unit 41 and the third sound collecting unit 43 has a trapezoidal shape having a short side. However, the quadrangle is not limited to a trapezoidal shape, and each sound collecting unit 41 to 44 can be arranged so as to be a rectangle or a square.

The left arm portion 10 is further provided with an imaging unit 60. Specifically, an image pickup unit 60 is provided on the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10, and the image pickup unit 60 can capture a still image or a moving image on the front side of the wearer. The image acquired by the image capturing unit 60 is transmitted to the control unit 80 in the main body unit 30 and stored as image data. Further, the image acquired by the imaging unit 60 may be transmitted to the server device via the Internet. Further, as will be described in detail later, it is also possible to specify the position of the mouth of the interlocutor from the image acquired by the imaging unit 60 and perform a process (beamforming process) for emphasizing the sound emitted from the mouth. ..

The right arm portion 20 is further provided with a non-contact type sensor portion 70. The sensor unit 70 is arranged on the tip surface 22 of the right arm unit 20 mainly for the purpose of detecting the movement of the wearer's hand on the front side of the neck-mounted device 100. The detection information of the sensor unit 70 is mainly used for controlling the image pickup unit 60, such as starting the image pickup unit 60 and starting and stopping shooting. For example, the sensor unit 70 may control the image pickup unit 60 by detecting that an object such as the wearer's hand is close to the sensor unit 70, or the wearer may control the image pickup unit 60 within the detection range of the sensor unit 70. The imaging unit 60 may be controlled by detecting that the sensor has performed a predetermined gesture. In the present embodiment, the imaging unit 60 is arranged on the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10, and the sensor unit 70 is arranged on the tip surface 22 of the right arm portion 20, but the positions of the imaging unit 60 and the sensor unit 70 are arranged. It is also possible to replace.

Further, the detection information in the sensor unit 70 can be used to activate the imaging unit 60, the sound collecting units 41 to 45, and / or the control unit 80 (main CPU). For example, when the sensor unit 70, the sound collecting units 41 to 45, and the control unit 80 are constantly activated and the imaging unit 60 is stopped, when the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture, the imaging unit 60 is activated. It can be activated (condition 1). Under this condition 1, it is also possible to activate the imaging unit 60 when the sound collecting units 41 to 45 detect a specific sound. Alternatively, when the sensor unit 70 and the sound collecting units 41 to 45 are constantly activated and the control unit 80 and the imaging unit 60 are stopped and the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture, the control unit 80 and the imaging unit 80 are imaged. Any one of the parts 60 can be activated (condition 2). Even under this condition 2, the control unit 80 and the imaging unit 60 can be activated when the sound collecting units 41 to 45 detect a specific sound. Alternatively, when only the sensor unit 70 is always activated and the sound collecting units 41 to 45, the control unit 80, and the imaging unit 60 are stopped, and the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture, the sound collecting unit Any of 41 to 45, the control unit 80, and the imaging unit 60 can be activated (condition 3). It can be said that the above-mentioned conditions 1 to 3 have a greater effect of reducing power consumption in the order of condition 3> condition 2> condition 1.

As shown in the side view of FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10 (and the tip surface 22 of the right arm portion 20) is ideally vertical when worn, and the neck-hanging device 100 The housing is designed. That is, the neck-hanging device 100 is attached so that the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 hang slightly from the back of the neck toward the vicinity of the front clavicle of the chest, and the tip surfaces of the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 are attached to the front portion of the clavicle. 12 and 22 are located. At this time, it is preferable that the tip surfaces 12 and 22 are substantially parallel (within ± 10 degrees) to the vertical direction.

Further, in order to erect the tip surfaces 12 and 22 vertically as described above, the tip surfaces 12 and 22 of the arm portions 10 and 20 are inclined surfaces with respect to the lower edges 13 and 23, respectively. FIG. 2 shows the angle of the distal end surface 12, 22 and the lower edge 13, 23 (inclination angle of the distal end surface) in the code theta _1. In FIG. 2, the straight line S indicates a straight line parallel to the tip surfaces 12 and 22, and the reference numeral L indicates an extension line of the lower edges 13 and 23 of the arm portions 10 and 20. _{Here, the inclination angle θ 1} of the tip surfaces 12 and 22 is an acute angle, for example, preferably 40 to 85 degrees, and particularly preferably 50 to 80 degrees or 60 to 80 degrees. By inclining the tip surfaces 12 and 22 with respect to the lower edges 13 and 23 of the arm portions 10 and 20 in this way, the tip surfaces 12 and 22 tend to be vertical when mounted. Therefore, the image pickup unit 60 and the sensor unit 70 provided on the front end surfaces 12 and 22 can efficiently photograph or detect the area on the front side of the wearer.

Further, in FIG. 2, the straight line A indicates the optical axis of the imaging unit 60. The optical axis (main axis) is an axis of symmetry that passes through the center of the lens of the imaging unit 60. As shown in FIG. 2, assuming that the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10 is vertical at the time of mounting, the optical axis A of the imaging unit 60 may be substantially horizontal (± 10 degrees). preferable. In this way, the optical axis A of the image pickup unit 60 is substantially horizontal when the neck-mounted device 100 is attached, so that the line of sight when the wearer is facing the front and the optical axis A of the image pickup unit 60 are substantially parallel. Therefore, the image captured by the imaging unit 60 is close to the scenery actually viewed by the wearer. More specifically, in FIG. 2, the angle formed by the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion and the optical axis A of the imaging portion 60 is indicated _{by reference numeral θ 2.} The inclination angle θ ₂ of the optical axis A is preferably 75 to 115 degrees or 80 to 100 degrees, and particularly preferably 85 to 95 degrees or 90 degrees.

Further, in FIG. 2, the straight line A'shows another example of the optical axis of the imaging unit 60. As shown in FIG. 2, assuming that the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10 is vertical at the time of mounting, the optical axis A'of the imaging unit 60 is horizontal (corresponding to the straight line A in FIG. 2). ) Is preferably inclined upward. As described above, the tip surfaces 12 and 22 of the arm portions 10 and 20 are located in the vicinity of the front of the clavicle of the wearer at the time of wearing. It makes it easier to photograph a person's face and mouth. Further, by tilting the optical axis A'of the imaging unit upward with respect to the horizontal in advance, it becomes possible to photograph the space above the vertical direction without forcing the wearer to take an unreasonable posture. .. More specifically, in FIG. 2, the angle (inclination angle of the optical axis) formed by the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion and the optical axis A'of the imaging unit 60 is indicated _{by reference numeral θ 3.} The inclination angle θ ₃ of the optical axis A'is preferably 30 to 85 degrees, and particularly preferably 40 to 80 degrees or 50 to 80 degrees so that it faces upward when mounted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in each of the arm portions 10 and 20, the extension lines of the lower edges 13 and 23 and the upper edges 14 and 24 are both downward and point toward the ground. For this reason, the interlocutor facing the wearer is less likely to receive the impression that his / her face is being photographed by the imaging unit 60 provided on the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10. In this way, even when the image pickup unit 60 photographs the face and mouth of the interlocutor, it is less likely to cause discomfort to the interlocutor. On the other hand, as described above, in the present embodiment, the tip surface 12 of the left arm portion 10 is designed to stand substantially vertically, and the optical axis of the imaging unit 60 arranged on the tip surface 12 is designed to face upward. There is. Therefore, although the interlocutor is less likely to receive the impression that his / her face is being photographed, the image pickup unit 60 can actually effectively photograph the interlocutor's face and mouth.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the cross-sectional shapes of the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 at the portion where the sound collecting portions 41 to 45 are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment, the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 have a substantially rhombic cross-sectional shape at a portion where the sound collecting portions 41 to 45 are provided. The left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 have inclined surfaces 10a and 20a facing the wearer's head (more specifically, the wearer's mouth), respectively. That is, the perpendicular line perpendicular to the inclined surfaces 10a and 20a faces the wearer's head. The sound collecting portions 41 to 45 are provided on the inclined surfaces 10a and 20a of the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20. By arranging the sound collecting units 41 to 45 on the inclined surfaces 10a and 20a in this way, the sound emitted from the wearer's mouth can easily reach each sound collecting unit 41 to 45 in a straight line. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, wind noise generated around the wearer is less likely to enter the sound collecting units 41 to 45 directly, so that such noise can be physically suppressed. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the cross-sectional shape of the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 is a rhombic shape, but the cross-sectional shape is not limited to this, and the wearer's head may have a triangular shape, a pentagonal shape, or another polygonal shape. It is also possible to have a shape having facing inclined surfaces 10a and 20a.

The left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion described above are connected by a main body portion 30 provided at a position of contacting the back of the wearer's neck. Electronic components such as a processor and a battery are built in the main body 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing constituting the main body 30 has a substantially flat shape, and can store a flat (plate-shaped) circuit board and a battery. Further, the main body portion 30 has a drooping portion 31 extending downward from the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20. By providing the hanging portion 31 in the main body portion 30, a space for incorporating the control system circuit is secured. Further, the control system circuits are centrally mounted on the main body 30. Therefore, when the total weight of the neck-mounted device 100 is 100%, the weight of the main body 30 occupies 40 to 80% or 50% to 70%. By arranging such a heavy main body portion 30 on the back of the wearer's neck, the stability at the time of wearing is improved. Further, by arranging the heavy main body portion 30 at a position close to the wearer's trunk, the load given to the wearer by the weight of the entire device can be reduced.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the main body portion 30, and schematically shows the positional relationship of the electronic components stored in the main body portion 30. The left side in FIG. 4 is the inside of the neck-hanging device 100 that contacts the wearer's neck, and the right side in FIG. 4 is the outside of the neck-hanging device 100 that does not directly touch the wearer's neck. .. As shown in FIG. 4, at least a flat circuit board 85 and a flat battery 90 are housed in a housing (main body housing 32) constituting the main body 30. Further, the circuit board 85 is mounted with various electronic components that are driven by receiving electric power from the battery 90. An example of an electronic component mounted on the circuit board 85 is a proximity sensor 83 and a sound emitting unit 34 (speaker) shown in FIG. In addition, a control device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a memory or storage, a communication device, and various sensor devices can be electrically connected to the circuit board 85.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the battery 90 is arranged outside the circuit board 85. That is, in the mounted state of the neck-mounted device 100, the circuit board 85 is interposed between the back of the neck of the wearer and the battery 90. The circuit board 85 (printed circuit board) is an insulating substrate in which conductive wiring is formed on the surface layer of a substrate composed of an insulator such as resin, glass, or Teflon (registered trademark) or inside the substrate. Electrically connect various electronic components mounted on the top. The circuit board 85 may be an inflexible rigid substrate, a flexible flexible substrate, or a composite thereof. Further, the circuit board 85 is a single-sided substrate in which a wiring pattern is formed on only one side, a double-sided substrate in which a wiring pattern is formed on both sides, or a multilayer substrate in which each layer in which insulating substrates are laminated over a plurality of layers is electrically connected. It may be any of. Other known configurations can be adopted as the circuit board 85. The battery 90 composed of a lithium-ion battery or the like generates heat to a considerable extent, but by arranging the circuit board 85 between the back of the wearer's neck and the battery 90, the heat generated from the battery 90 can be attached. It becomes difficult to convey to the person, and it is expected that the wearing feeling of the neck-mounted device 100 will be improved.

Further, a proximity sensor 83 is provided inside the main body 30 (on the wearer side). The proximity sensor 83 may be mounted on the inner surface of the circuit board 85, for example. The proximity sensor 83 is for detecting the approach of an object, and when the neck-hanging device 100 is attached to the neck of the wearer, the proximity sensor 83 detects the approach of the neck. Therefore, when the proximity sensor 83 is in a state of detecting the proximity of an object, devices such as the sound collecting units 41 to 45, the imaging unit 60, and the sensor unit 70 are turned on (driving state), and the proximity sensor is turned on. When the 83 is in a state where the proximity of an object is not detected, these devices may be turned off (sleep state) or cannot be started. As a result, the power consumption of the battery 90 can be efficiently suppressed. Further, when the proximity sensor 83 is in a state where the proximity of an object is not detected, the image pickup unit 60 and the sound collection units 41 to 45 cannot be activated, so that data is intentionally or unintentionally recorded when the object is not attached. It can also be expected to have the effect of preventing it from being damaged. A known proximity sensor 90 can be used, but when an optical type is used, the detection light is transmitted to the main body housing 32 in order to transmit the detection light of the proximity sensor 90. It is advisable to provide a transparent portion 32a to be used.

Further, a sound emitting portion 84 (speaker) is provided on the outside of the main body portion 30 (opposite side of the wearer). The sound emitting unit 84 may be mounted on the outer surface of the circuit board 85, for example. As shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the sound emitting unit 84 is arranged so as to output sound toward the outside of the main body unit 30. That is, a grill 32b (hole) is formed on the outer surface of the main body housing 32, and the sound (sound wave) output from the sound emitting unit 84 through the grill 32b is emitted to the outside of the main body housing 32. It is supposed to be done. By emitting sound from the back of the wearer's neck toward the back in this way, it becomes difficult for the sound output from the sound emitting unit 84 to directly reach the interlocutor existing in front of the wearer. .. As a result, it is possible to prevent the interlocutor from confusing the sound emitted by the wearer himself with the sound emitted from the sound emitting portion of the neck-mounted device. Further, in the present embodiment, the sound collecting portions 41 to 45 are provided on the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20, but the sound emitting portion 84 is provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck to release the sound. The physical distance between the sound unit 84 and the sound collecting units 41 to 45 can be maximized. That is, when some sound is output from the sound emitting unit 84 while the sound collecting units 41 to 45 are collecting the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor, the sound is released to the recorded voice of the wearer and the like. The sound from the sound unit 84 (self-output sound) may be mixed. If the self-output sound is mixed with the recorded sound, it interferes with voice recognition, so it is necessary to remove this self-output sound by echo cancellation processing or the like. However, in reality, it is difficult to completely remove the self-output sound even if the echo cancellation process is performed due to the influence of the housing vibration and the like. Therefore, in order to minimize the volume of the self-output sound mixed in the voice of the wearer or the like, a sound emitting portion 84 is provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck as described above, and the sound collecting portion is used. It is preferable to keep a physical distance. A grill 32b is provided on the inner surface of the main body housing 32, and a sound emitting portion 84 is provided inside the circuit board 85 to emit sound toward the inside of the main body 30. You can also. However, in this case, the sound emitted from the sound emitting unit 84 is blocked by the wearer's neck, and it is assumed that the sound sounds like a cage.

Further, it is preferable that the sound emitting portion 84 is installed at a position biased to the left or right, not at a position corresponding to the center of the rear of the neck of the wearer. The reason is that the sound emitting portion 84 is closer to either the left or right ear as compared with the case where the sound emitting portion 84 is located in the center of the back of the neck. In this way, by arranging the sound emitting unit 84 not at the center of the main body 30 but at a position biased to the left or right, the wearer can output the output sound even when the volume of the output sound is reduced. Can be clearly heard with either the left or right ear. Further, if the volume of the output sound is reduced, it becomes difficult for the output sound to reach the interlocutor, so that the interlocutor can avoid confusing the wearer's voice with the output sound of the sound emitting unit 84.

The grill 32b not only allows the sound output from the sound emitting unit 84 to pass through, but also has a function of exhausting the heat generated from the battery 90 into the atmosphere. By forming the grill 32b on the outer surface of the main body housing 32, the heat discharged through the grill 32b is less likely to reach the wearer directly, which is efficient without causing discomfort to the wearer. Can exhaust heat.

Further, as a structural feature of the neck-hanging device 100, the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 have flexible portions 11 and 21 in the vicinity of the connecting portion with the main body portion 30. The flexible portions 11 and 21 are made of a flexible material such as rubber or silicone. Therefore, when the neck-hanging device 100 is worn, the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 are likely to fit on the wearer's neck and shoulders. The flexible units 11 and 21 are also provided with wiring for connecting the sound collecting units 41 to 45 and the operation unit 50 to the control unit 80.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the neck-mounted device 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the neck-mounted device 100 includes a first sound collecting unit 41 to a fifth sound collecting unit 45, an operation unit 50, an imaging unit 60, a sensor unit 70, a control unit 80, a storage unit 81, and a communication unit. It has a unit 82, a proximity sensor 83, a sound emitting unit 84, and a battery 90. A first sound collecting unit 41, a second sound collecting unit 42, a fifth sound collecting unit 45, an operating unit 50, and an imaging unit 60 are arranged on the left arm unit 10, and a third sound collecting unit 20 is arranged on the right arm unit 20. 43, a fourth sound collecting unit 44, and a sensor unit 70 are arranged, and a control unit 80, a storage unit 81, a communication unit 82, a proximity sensor 83, a sound emitting unit 84, and a battery 90 are arranged in the main body unit 30. ing. In addition to the functional configuration shown in FIG. 5, the neck-mounted device 100 is mounted on a general portable information terminal such as a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or sensors such as a GPS sensor. Module equipment can be installed as appropriate.

As each of the sound collecting units 41 to 45, known microphones such as a dynamic microphone, a condenser microphone, and a MEMS (Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems) microphone may be adopted. The sound collecting units 41 to 45 convert the sound into an electric signal, amplify the electric signal by the amplifier circuit, convert it into digital information by the A / D conversion circuit, and output it to the control unit 80. One of the objects of the neck-mounted device 100 of the present invention is to acquire not only the voice of the wearer but also the voice of one or more interlocutors existing around the wearer. Therefore, it is preferable to use omnidirectional (omnidirectional) microphones as the sound collecting units 41 to 45 so that the sound generated around the wearer can be widely collected.

The operation unit 50 receives an input of an operation by the wearer. As the operation unit 50, a known switch circuit, touch panel, or the like can be adopted. The operation unit 50 realizes, for example, an operation of instructing the start or stop of voice input, an operation of instructing the power ON or OFF of the device, an operation of instructing the volume up / down of the speaker, and other functions of the neck-mounted device 100. Accepts the necessary operations. The information input via the operation unit 50 is transmitted to the control unit 80.

The imaging unit 60 acquires image data of a still image or a moving image. A general digital camera may be adopted as the image pickup unit 60. The imaging unit 60 is, for example, a photographing lens, a mechanical shutter, a shutter driver, a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD image sensor unit, a digital signal processor (DSP) that reads out the amount of charge from the photoelectric conversion element and generates image data, and an IC memory. It is composed. Further, the imaging unit 60 includes an autofocus sensor (AF sensor) that measures the distance from the photographing lens to the subject, and a mechanism for adjusting the focal length of the photographing lens according to the distance detected by the AF sensor. Is preferable. The type of AF sensor is not particularly limited, but a known passive type sensor such as a phase difference sensor or a contrast sensor may be used. Further, as the AF sensor, an active type sensor that directs infrared rays or ultrasonic waves toward the subject and receives the reflected light or the reflected wave can also be used. The image data acquired by the image capturing unit 60 is supplied to the control unit 80 and stored in the storage unit 81 to perform a predetermined image analysis process or to the server device via the Internet via the communication unit 82. Will be sent.

Further, the imaging unit 60 preferably includes a so-called wide-angle lens. Specifically, the vertical angle of view of the imaging unit 60 is preferably 100 to 180 degrees, and particularly preferably 110 to 160 degrees or 120 to 150 degrees. By setting the vertical angle of view of the imaging unit 60 to a wide angle in this way, it is possible to photograph at least the chest from the head of the interlocutor, and in some cases, the whole body of the interlocutor. .. The horizontal angle of view of the imaging unit 60 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a wide angle of view of about 100 to 160 degrees.

Further, since the imaging unit 60 generally consumes a large amount of power, it is preferable that the imaging unit 60 is activated only when necessary and is in a sleep state in other cases. Specifically, the activation of the imaging unit 60 and the start or stop of shooting are controlled based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70 or the proximity sensor 83, but when a certain time elapses after the shooting is stopped, imaging is performed. The unit 60 may be put into the sleep state again.

The sensor unit 70 is a non-contact type detection device for detecting the movement of an object such as a wearer's finger. An example of the sensor unit 70 is a proximity sensor or a gesture sensor. The proximity sensor detects, for example, that the wearer's fingers are close to a predetermined range. As the proximity sensor, a known sensor such as an optical type, an ultrasonic type, a magnetic type, a capacitance type, or a warmth type can be adopted. The gesture sensor detects, for example, the movement and shape of the wearer's fingers. An example of a gesture sensor is an optical sensor, which irradiates light from an infrared light emitting LED toward an object and detects the movement or shape of the object by capturing the change in the reflected light with a light receiving element. The detection information by the sensor unit 70 is transmitted to the control unit 80 and is mainly used for controlling the image pickup unit 60. It is also possible to control each sound collecting unit 41 to 45 based on the detection information by the sensor unit 70. Since the sensor unit 70 generally consumes less power, it is preferable that the sensor unit 70 is always activated while the power of the neck-mounted device 100 is turned on. Further, the sensor unit 70 may be activated when the proximity sensor 83 detects that the neck-mounted device 100 is attached.

The control unit 80 performs arithmetic processing for controlling other elements included in the neck-mounted device 100. As the control unit 80, a processor such as a CPU can be used. The control unit 80 basically reads a program stored in the storage unit 81 and executes a predetermined arithmetic process according to this program. Further, the control unit 80 can appropriately write and read the calculation result according to the program in the storage unit 81. As will be described in detail later, the control unit 80 mainly performs a voice analysis unit 80a, a voice processing unit 80b, an input analysis unit 80c, an imaging control unit 80d, and an image analysis for performing control processing and beamforming processing of the imaging unit 60. It has a part 80e. These elements 80a to 80e are basically realized as functions on software. However, these elements may be realized as a hardware circuit.

The storage unit 81 is an element for storing information used for arithmetic processing and the like in the control unit 80 and the arithmetic result thereof. Specifically, the storage unit 81 stores a program that causes a general-purpose portable information communication terminal to function as a voice input device according to the present invention. When this program is started by an instruction from the user, the control unit 80 executes processing according to the program. The storage function of the storage unit 81 can be realized by, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an HDD and an SDD. Further, the storage unit 81 may have a function as a memory for writing or reading the progress of the arithmetic processing by the control unit 80. The memory function of the storage unit 81 can be realized by a volatile memory such as RAM or DRAM. In addition, the storage unit 81 may store ID information unique to the user who possesses it. Further, the storage unit 81 may store the IP address which is the identification information on the network of the neck-mounted device 100.

Further, the storage unit 81 may store a learned model used in the beamforming process by the control unit 80. The trained model is an inference model obtained by performing machine learning such as deep learning or reinforcement learning in a server device on the cloud, for example. Specifically, in the beamforming process, sound data acquired by a plurality of sound collecting units is analyzed to specify the position or direction of the sound source that generated the sound. At this time, for example, a machine that accumulates a large number of data sets (teacher data) of the position information of the sound source in the server device and the data obtained from the sound generated from the sound source by a plurality of sound collecting units, and uses these teacher data. Perform training and create a trained model in advance. Then, when sound data is acquired by a plurality of sound collecting units in the individual neck-mounted device 100, the position or direction of the sound source can be efficiently specified by referring to this trained model. In addition, the neck-mounted device 100 can update this learned model at any time by communicating with the server device.

The communication unit 82 is an element for wireless communication with a server device on the cloud or another neck-mounted device. The communication unit 82 is a known mobile communication standard such as 3G (W-CDMA), 4G (LTE / LTE-Advanced), and 5G in order to communicate with a server device or another neck-mounted device via the Internet. Alternatively, a communication module for wireless communication using a wireless LAN method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be adopted. Further, in order to directly communicate with another neck-mounted device, the communication unit 82 can also adopt a communication module for proximity wireless communication of a method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC.

The proximity sensor 83 is mainly used for detecting the approach of the neck-mounted device 100 (particularly the main body 30) and the wearer. As the proximity sensor 83, known ones such as an optical type, an ultrasonic type, a magnetic type, a capacitance type, and a warmth type can be adopted as described above. The proximity sensor 83 is arranged inside the main body 30, and detects that the wearer's neck has approached within a predetermined range. When the proximity sensor 83 detects that the wearer's neck is approaching, the sound collecting units 41 to 45, the imaging unit 60, the sensor unit 70, and / or the sound emitting unit 84 can be activated.

The sound emitting unit 84 is an acoustic device that converts an electric signal into physical vibration (that is, sound). An example of the sound emitting unit 84 is a general speaker that transmits sound to the wearer by air vibration. In this case, as described above, the sound emitting portion 84 is provided on the outside of the main body portion 30 (the side opposite to the wearer), and the direction away from the back of the neck of the wearer (horizontal rearward) or the direction along the back of the neck (vertical). It is preferable that the sound is emitted toward (upward in the direction). Further, the sound emitting unit 84 may be a bone conduction speaker that transmits sound to the wearer by vibrating the wearer's bones. In this case, the sound emitting portion 84 may be provided inside the main body portion 30 (on the wearer's side) so that the bone conduction speaker comes into contact with the bone (cervical spine) on the back of the wearer's neck.

The battery 90 is a battery that supplies electric power to various electronic components included in the neck-mounted device 100. As the battery 90, a rechargeable storage battery is used. As the battery 90, a known battery such as a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, an alkaline storage battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, or a lead storage battery may be adopted. As described above, the battery 90 is arranged in the main body housing 32 so that the circuit board 85 is interposed between the battery 90 and the back of the wearer's neck.

Subsequently, the beamforming process will be specifically described with reference to FIG. When the user wears the neck-mounted device 100 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, at least four sounds are collected on the chest side of the wearer's neck as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). Parts 41 to 44 will be located. It should be noted that the fifth sound collecting unit 45 is an auxiliary sound collecting unit and is not an essential element, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here. In the present embodiment, the first sound collecting unit 41 to the fourth sound collecting unit 44 are all omnidirectional microphones, and always collect the sound mainly emitted from the wearer's mouth and other sounds. It collects the environmental sounds around the wearer. In order to reduce power consumption, the sound collecting units 41 to 44 and the control unit 80 are stopped, and when a specific gesture or the like is detected by the sensor unit 70, these sound collecting units 41 to 44 and the control unit are used. 80 may be activated. Environmental sounds include the voices of interlocutors located around the wearer. When the wearer and / or the interlocutor emits a voice, the voice data is acquired by each sound collecting unit 41 to 44. Each sound collecting unit 41 to 44 outputs each voice data to the control unit 80.

The voice analysis unit 80a of the control unit 80 performs a process of analyzing the voice data acquired by the sound collection units 41 to 44. Specifically, the voice analysis unit 80a specifies the position or direction in space of the sound source from which the sound is emitted, based on the voice data of each sound collection unit 41 to 44. For example, when a machine-learned trained model is installed in the neck-mounted device 100, the voice analysis unit 80a refers to the trained model and refers to the position of the sound source from the voice data of each sound collecting unit 41 to 44. Or the direction can be specified. Alternatively, since the distance between the sound collecting units 41 is known, the sound analysis unit 80a transfers the sound from the sound collecting units 41 to 44 to the sound source based on the time difference when the sound reaches the sound collecting units 41 to 44. A distance may be obtained, and the spatial position or direction of the sound source may be specified from the distance by a triangular survey method.

Further, the voice analysis unit 80a determines whether or not the position or direction of the sound source specified by the above process matches the position or direction presumed to be the mouth of the wearer or the mouth of the interlocutor. For example, since the positional relationship between the neck-mounted device 100 and the wearer's mouth and the positional relationship between the neck-mounted device 100 and the mouth of the interlocutor can be assumed in advance, the sound source is located within the assumed range. In some cases, it may be determined that the sound source is the mouth of the wearer or the interlocutor. Further, when the sound source is located significantly below, above, or behind the neck-mounted device 100, it can be determined that the sound source is not the mouth of the wearer or the interlocutor.

Next, the voice processing unit 80b of the control unit 80 performs a process of emphasizing or suppressing the sound component included in the voice data based on the position or direction of the sound source specified by the voice analysis unit 80a. Specifically, when the position or direction of the sound source matches the position or direction presumed to be the mouth of the wearer or the interlocutor, the sound component emitted from the sound source is emphasized. On the other hand, if the position or direction of the sound source does not match the mouth of the wearer or the interlocutor, the sound component emitted from the sound source may be regarded as noise and the sound component may be suppressed. As described above, in the present invention, the beamforming process of acquiring omnidirectional sound data using a plurality of omnidirectional microphones and emphasizing or suppressing the specific sound component by the sound processing on the software of the control unit 80 is performed. Do. As a result, it is possible to acquire the voice of the wearer and the voice of the interlocutor at the same time and emphasize the sound component of the voice as needed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when acquiring the voice of the dialogue person, it is preferable to activate the imaging unit 60 to take a picture of the dialogue person. Specifically, the wearer makes a predetermined gesture with his / her fingers within the detection range of the non-contact type sensor unit 70. Gestures include performing a predetermined action with fingers and forming a predetermined shape with fingers. When the sensor unit 70 detects the movement of the fingers, the input analysis unit 80c of the control unit 80 analyzes the detection information of the sensor unit 70 to see if the gesture of the wearer's fingers matches the preset one. To judge. For example, predetermined gestures related to the control of the imaging unit 60, such as a gesture for activating the imaging unit 60, a gesture for starting shooting by the imaging unit 60, and a gesture for stopping shooting, are preset. The input analysis unit 80c will determine whether or not the wearer's gesture matches the above-mentioned predetermined one based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70.

Next, the image pickup control unit 80d of the control unit 80 controls the image pickup unit 60 based on the analysis result of the input analysis unit 80c. For example, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for activating the imaging unit 60, the imaging control unit 80d activates the imaging unit 60. Further, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for starting shooting after the image pickup unit 60 is activated, the image pickup control unit 80d controls the image pickup unit 60 to start shooting an image. .. Further, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for stopping the shooting after the start of shooting, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 so as to stop the shooting of the image. The image pickup control unit 80d may put the image pickup unit 60 into the sleep state again when a certain period of time has elapsed after the shooting is stopped.

The image analysis unit 80e of the control unit 80 analyzes the image data of the still image or the moving image acquired by the image pickup unit 60. For example, the image analysis unit 80e can specify the distance from the neck-hanging device 100 to the mouth of the interlocutor and the positional relationship between the two by analyzing the image data. Further, the image analysis unit 80e analyzes whether or not the interlocutor's mouth is open or whether or not the interlocutor's mouth is open and closed based on the image data to determine whether the interlocutor is uttering. It is also possible to specify whether or not. The analysis result by the image analysis unit 80e is used for the above-mentioned beamforming process. Specifically, if the analysis result of the image data by the imaging unit 60 is used in addition to the analysis result of the sound data collected by each sound collecting unit 41 to 44, the position and direction of the interlocutor's mouth in space can be used. It is possible to improve the accuracy of the process of identifying. In addition, by analyzing the movement of the interlocutor's mouth contained in the image data and identifying that the interlocutor is uttering, the accuracy of the process of emphasizing the voice uttered from the interlocutor's mouth can be improved. Can be enhanced.

The audio data processed by the audio processing unit 80b and the image data acquired by the imaging unit 60 are stored in the storage unit 81. Further, the control unit 80 can also transmit the processed audio data and the image data to the server device on the cloud or another neck-hanging device 100 via the communication unit 82. The server device can also perform voice text conversion processing, translation processing, statistical processing, and other arbitrary language processing based on the voice data received from the neck-mounted device 100. Further, the accuracy of the language processing can be improved by using the image data acquired by the imaging unit 60. Further, the server device can improve the accuracy of the trained model by using the voice data and the image data received from the neck-mounted device 100 as teacher data for machine learning. Further, the wearer may make a remote call by transmitting and receiving voice data between the neck-mounted devices 100. At that time, voice data may be directly transmitted / received between the neck-mounted devices 100 via proximity wireless communication, or voice data may be transmitted / received between the neck-mounted devices 100 via the Internet via the server device. May be.

In the specification of the present application, an embodiment in which the neck-mounted device 100 mainly includes a voice analysis unit 80a, a voice processing unit 80b, and an image analysis unit 80e as functional configurations, and executes beamforming processing locally will be described. did. However, any or all of the functions of the voice analysis unit 80a, the voice processing unit 80b, and the image analysis unit 80e can be shared by the server device on the cloud connected to the neck-hanging device 100 via the Internet. In this case, for example, the neck-mounted device 100 transmits the voice data acquired by each sound collecting unit 41 to 45 to the server device, and the server device specifies the position or direction of the sound source, or the sound of the wearer or the interlocutor. You may perform voice processing that emphasizes and suppresses other noises. Further, the image data acquired by the imaging unit 60 may be transmitted from the neck-mounted device 100 to the server device, and the server device may perform the analysis processing of the image data. In this case, the voice processing system is constructed by the neck-mounted device 100 and the server device.

As described above, in the specification of the present application, in order to express the content of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes modifications and improvements which are obvious to those skilled in the art based on the matters described in the present specification.

It is also possible to control the photographing method by the imaging unit 60 based on the detection information by the sensor unit 70. Specifically, as a shooting method of the imaging unit 60, for example, still image shooting, moving image shooting, slow motion shooting, panoramic shooting, time-lapse shooting, timer shooting and the like can be mentioned. When the sensor unit 70 detects the movement of the fingers, the input analysis unit 80c of the control unit 80 analyzes the detection information of the sensor unit 70 to see if the gesture of the wearer's fingers matches the preset one. To judge. For example, a unique gesture is set for each shooting method of the imaging unit 60, and the input analysis unit 80c matches the wearer's gesture with a preset gesture based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70. It will be judged whether or not. The image pickup control unit 80d controls the shooting method by the image pickup unit 60 based on the analysis result of the input analysis unit 80c. For example, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for still image shooting, the image pickup control unit 80d controls the image pickup unit 60 to shoot a still image. Alternatively, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for movie shooting, the image pickup control unit 80d controls the image pickup unit 60 to shoot the movie. In this way, the photographing method by the imaging unit 60 can be specified according to the gesture of the wearer.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the imaging unit 60 is mainly controlled based on the detection information by the sensor unit 70, but each sound collecting unit 41 to 45 is controlled based on the detection information by the sensor unit 70. Is also possible. For example, a unique gesture regarding the start or stop of sound collection by the sound collecting units 41 to 45 is preset, and the input analysis unit 80c presets the wearer's gesture based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70. Determine if it matches the gesture you made. Then, when a gesture related to the start or stop of sound collection is detected, the sound collection units 41 to 45 may start or stop sound collection according to the detection information of the gesture.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the imaging unit 60 is controlled mainly based on the detection information by the sensor unit 70, but the imaging unit 60 is controlled based on the voice information input to the sound collecting units 41 to 45. It is also possible to control. Specifically, the voice analysis unit 80a analyzes the voice acquired by the sound collecting units 41 to 45. That is, the wearer or the interlocutor's voice is recognized, and it is determined whether or not the voice is related to the control of the imaging unit 60. After that, the image pickup control unit 80d controls the image pickup unit 60 based on the analysis result of the sound. For example, when a predetermined sound regarding the start of shooting is input to the sound collecting units 41 to 45, the imaging control unit 80d activates the imaging unit 60 to start shooting. Further, when a predetermined sound for designating the photographing method by the imaging unit 60 is input to the sound collecting units 41 to 45, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 to execute the designated photographing method. .. It is also possible to start the sound collecting units 41 to 45 based on the detection information by the sensor unit 70, and then control the imaging unit 60 based on the voice information input to the sound collecting units 41 to 45.

It is also possible to change the content of the control command based on the input information of the sensor unit 70 according to the image captured by the image capturing unit 60. Specifically, first, the image analysis unit 80e analyzes the image acquired by the image pickup unit 60. For example, based on the feature points included in the image, the image analysis unit 80a captures the image of a person, the image of a specific subject (artificial object, natural object, etc.), or the image. Identify the situation (shooting location, shooting time, weather, etc.). The person included in the image may be classified by gender or age, or may be identified as an individual.

Next, the storage unit 81 stores a pattern of control commands based on gestures by human fingers according to the type of image (type of person, subject, situation). At this time, even if the gesture is the same, the control command may be different depending on the type of image. Specifically, even with the same gesture, when a person is shown in the image, it becomes a control command to focus the face of the person, or when a characteristic natural object is shown in the image. Is a control command for panoramic photography of the surroundings of the natural object. In addition, the meaning and content of gestures are different by detecting the gender and age of the person in the image, whether the subject is an artificial or natural object, or the shooting location, time, weather, etc. of the image. You can also. Then, the input analysis unit 80c refers to the image analysis result of the image analysis unit 80e, specifies the meaning and content corresponding to the image analysis result of the gesture detected by the sensor unit 70, and the neck-hanging device 100 Generates a control command to be input to. In this way, by changing the meaning and content of the gesture according to the content of the image, it is possible to input various variations of control commands to the device by the gesture according to the shooting situation and purpose of the image.

10 ... Left arm 11 ... Flexible part 12 ... Tip surface 13 ... Bottom surface 14 ... Top surface 20 ... Right arm part 21 ... Flexible part 22 ... Tip surface 23 ... Bottom surface 24 ... Top surface 30 ... Main body 31 ... Dripping 32 ... Main body housing 32a ... Transmission unit 32b ... Grill 41 ... 1st sound collection unit 42 ... 2nd sound collection unit 43 ... 3rd sound collection unit 44 ... 4th sound collection unit 45 ... 5th sound collection unit 50 ... Operation unit 60 ... Imaging unit 70 ... Sensor unit 80 ... Control unit 80a ... Sound analysis unit 80b ... Sound processing unit 80c ... Input analysis unit 80d ... Imaging control unit 80e ... Image analysis unit 81 ... Storage unit 82 ... Communication unit 83 ... Proximity sensor 84 ... Sound emission unit 90 ... Battery 100 ... Neck-mounted device

Claims (6)

It is a neck-mounted device that is worn around the wearer's neck.
With the battery
A circuit board on which electronic components that are driven by receiving power from the battery are mounted, and
A housing in which the battery and the circuit board are housed is provided.
The circuit board is a neck-mounted device arranged in the housing so as to be located between the battery and the neck of the wearer when mounted. The housing is
The first and second arms that can be placed across the neck,
It has a flat body portion that connects the first arm portion and the second arm portion at a position corresponding to the back of the wrist of the wearer.
The neck-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the battery and the circuit board are housed in the main body. The neck-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a proximity sensor at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck. The neck-mounted device according to claim 2, further comprising a sound collecting portion provided at one or more locations on each of the first arm portion and the second arm portion. The neck-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a sound emitting portion at a position corresponding to the back of the neck of the wearer. The neck-mounted device according to claim 2, further comprising an imaging unit provided on the first arm portion and / or one of a non-contact type sensor unit provided on the second arm portion.

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