JP2679384B2 - Voice response device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice response device, and more particularly to a voice response device for avoiding a function stop when an abnormality occurs.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional voice response device. For simplification of explanation, there are two lines for outputting voice, and the voice response unit has three lines including a backup line.

The control unit 1 instructs the voice response units 31, 32 and 33 to output voice. In the voice memory unit 2, necessary voices are digitized and stored in advance. The voice response units 31, 32 and 33 read out data corresponding to the instructed voice from the voice memory unit 2 and send it to the D / A conversion units 41, 42 and 43. The D / A converters 41, 42, 43 convert the sent digital signals into analog signals A1, A2, A3 and send them to the switching unit 5. The switching unit 5 outputs the sent analog signals A1, A2, A3 as output audio signals S1 and S2. When there is an abnormality in the voice response unit 31, 32, 33, the control unit 1 is notified by the abnormality notification signals E1, E2, E3.

The voice response unit 33 and the D / A conversion unit 43 are spares, and do not operate normally. Then, the switching unit 5 outputs the analog signal A1 as the output audio signal S1,
Further, the analog signal A2 is set to be output as the output audio signal S2.

When an abnormality occurs in the voice response unit 31 in this state, the control unit 1 notifies the operator of that fact. The operator stops the operations of the voice response unit 31 and the D / A conversion unit 41, operates the backup voice response unit 33 and the D / A conversion unit 43, and sets the switching unit 5 to output the analog signal A3. The analog signal A2 is output as S1 and the audio signal S2 is output.
To output as. The same applies when an abnormality occurs in the voice response unit 32.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Since switching is performed by an analog signal in this conventional voice response device, if the number of voice output lines increases, the circuit configuration becomes complicated and the size becomes large, and when the switching is automatically performed, its control becomes complicated. There was a problem.
For example, if the number of voice output lines is 10 and the number of standby voice response units is 1, the switching unit needs to perform 11 × 10 types of switching.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the first invention, a voice response unit for reading and outputting a digitized voice signal, and a voice bus for time-divisionally multiplexing the digital signal output by the voice response unit,
In a voice response device comprising a D / A conversion unit for converting a digital signal on the voice bus into an analog signal and outputting it as voice, a plurality of the voice response units including a spare one are provided in a time slot of the voice bus. Variably assigned,
The D / A converter is fixedly assigned to a time slot on the voice bus, and when an abnormality is detected in the voice response unit, there is an abnormality. There is provided a voice response device characterized by comprising control means for allocating the spare voice response unit to a slot.

According to the second aspect of the invention, a voice response unit for reading and outputting a digitized voice signal, a voice bus for time-divisionally multiplexing the digital signal output by the voice response unit, and a voice bus on the voice bus In a voice response device including a D / A conversion unit for converting a digital signal of the above into an analog signal and outputting it as voice, a plurality of the voice response units including a spare one are fixedly allocated to time slots of the voice bus. The D / A converter is variably assigned to the time slot on the voice bus, and when the abnormality of the voice response unit is detected, the auxiliary voice response is used instead of the voice response unit which is abnormal. And a control means for allocating the output of the auxiliary voice response unit to the D / A conversion unit to which the output of the voice response unit having an abnormality has been assigned. Voice response device is obtained.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a voice response device according to an embodiment of the first invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the voice bus in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the number of voice output lines and the number of voice response units are the same as those in the conventional example shown in FIG. The voice response device of the present embodiment includes a voice response unit 3 connected through a voice bus 6.
1,32,33 and D / A converters 41,42 and voice response units 31,32,33
The voice memory unit 2 in which the digital signal read out by the voice response unit 31 is stored in advance, and when the abnormality notification signals E1, E2, E3 are received from the voice response units 31, 32, 33 The control unit 1 gives an instruction.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The operation from the control unit 1 instructing the voice response units 31, 32, 33 to output voice and the voice response units 31, 32, 33 reading data from the voice memory unit 2 is the same as in the conventional technique. The voice bus 6 is a signal obtained by time-division-multiplexing data of two lines, and its configuration is as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the time axis, and time slot 1 and time slot 2 are assigned in order. The voice response unit 31 outputs the read data to the time slot 1, and the voice response unit 32 outputs the read data to the time slot 2. Further, the D / A conversion unit 41 converts the data of the time slot 1 and the D / A conversion unit 42 converts the data of the time slot 2 into analog signals and outputs them as output audio signals S1 and S2, respectively.

Here, an abnormality occurs in the voice response unit 31 and the abnormality notification signal
Upon receiving E1, the control unit 1 instructs the voice response unit 31 to stop the output to the time slot 1, and
The voice response unit 33 is instructed to output the read data to the time slot 1. As a result, the voice data from the voice response unit 33 is output as the output voice signal S1 instead of the voice data from the voice response unit 31. Also,
If there is an abnormality in the voice response unit 32, the time slot 2
The voice response unit 33 is assigned to, and voice data from the voice response unit 33 is output as the output voice signal S2.

Next, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a voice response device according to an embodiment of the second invention, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the voice bus in FIG.

In FIG. 3, the number of voice output lines and the number of voice response units are the same as in the conventional example shown in FIG. The voice response device of this embodiment has a voice response unit 3 connected through a voice bus 61.
1,32,33 and D / A converters 41,42 and voice response units 31,32,33
The voice memory unit 2 for storing in advance the digital signal read out by the voice response units 31, 32, 33 and D / when the abnormality notification signals E1, E2, E3 are received from the voice response units 31, 32, 33. The control unit 11 is configured to give a predetermined instruction to the A conversion units 41 and 42.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The operation from the control unit 11 instructing the voice response units 31, 32, 33 to output voice and the voice response units 31, 32, 33 reading data from the voice memory unit 2 is the same as the conventional technique. Voice bus
Reference numeral 61 is a signal in which data for three lines is time-division-multiplexed, and its configuration is as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis represents the time axis, and time slot 1, time slot 2 and time slot 3 are assigned in order. The voice response unit 31 is in time slot 1,
The voice response unit 32 outputs the read data to the time slot 2, and the voice response unit 33 outputs the read data to the time slot 3. However, since the voice response unit 33 is a spare, it does not operate normally. Further, the D / A converter 41 is set to output the data of the time slot 1, and the D / A converter 42 is set to convert the data of the time slot 2 into an analog signal and output it as output audio signals S1 and S2, respectively. .

Here, when an abnormality occurs in the voice response unit 31 and the control unit 11 receives the abnormality notification signal E1, the control 11 stops the operation of the voice response unit 31, and thereafter, instead of the voice response unit 31, the voice response unit 33. To operate. Further, the D / A converter 41 is instructed to convert the data in the time slot 3 into an analog signal and output it as the output signal S1. As a result, the voice data from the voice response unit 33 is output as the output voice signal S1 instead of the voice data from the voice response unit 31. If the voice response unit 32 is abnormal, the voice response unit 33 is operated instead of the voice response unit 32, and the D / A conversion unit 42 is instructed to output the data of the time slot 3. To do.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the first aspect of the present invention includes an audio response unit that reads and outputs a digitized audio signal, and an audio bus that multiplexes the digital signals output by the audio response unit in a time division manner. , A voice response device comprising a D / A conversion unit for converting a digital signal on the voice bus into an analog signal and outputting it as voice, in which a plurality of voice response units including spares are unique to the time slot of the voice bus. Assigned to
The D / A converter is variably assigned to the time slot on the voice bus, and when an abnormality is detected in the voice response unit, a standby voice response unit is operated instead of this voice response unit that is abnormal. By providing a control means for allocating the output of the auxiliary voice response unit to the D / A conversion unit to which the output of the voice response unit was assigned, there is no need for a complicated switching unit. This has the effect of simplifying and avoiding a functional stoppage in the event of an abnormality.

A second aspect of the invention is to provide a voice response unit for reading and outputting a digitized voice signal, and a voice bus for time-divisionally multiplexing the digital signal output by the voice response unit,
In a voice response device including a D / A conversion unit that converts a digital signal on the voice bus into an analog signal and outputs it as voice, a plurality of voice response units including a backup unit are fixed in a time slot of the voice bus. , The D / A converter is variably assigned to the time slot on the voice bus, and when an abnormality of the voice response unit is detected, a spare voice response unit is used instead of this voice response unit that was abnormal. Let it work,
The output of the voice response unit that had an abnormality was assigned D /
By providing control means for allocating the output of the voice response unit for backup to the A conversion unit, a complicated switching unit is unnecessary, the circuit configuration is simplified, and it is possible to easily switch to the standby system when an abnormality occurs. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the functional stoppage when an abnormality occurs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 and 3 are block diagrams of a voice response device according to an embodiment of the first and second inventions respectively, and FIGS. 2 and 4 are examples of the voice bus in FIGS. 1 and 3, respectively. Configuration diagram shown,
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional voice response device. 1, 11 ...... Control unit, 2 ...... Voice memory unit, 31, 32, 33 ...... Voice response unit, 41, 42, 43 ...... D / A conversion unit, 5 ...... Switching unit, 6, 6
1 …… Voice bus, A1, A2, A3 …… Analog signal, E1, E2, E3
…… Abnormality notification signal, S1, S2 …… Output voice signal.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A voice response unit for reading and outputting a digitized voice signal, a voice bus for time-divisionally multiplexing the digital signal output by the voice response unit, and an analog digital signal on the voice bus. In a voice response device provided with a D / A conversion unit for converting into a signal and outputting as voice, a plurality of the voice response units including spares are variably assigned to the time slot of the voice bus, and the D / A A
The conversion unit is fixedly allocated to the time slot on the voice bus, and the abnormality occurs when the abnormality of the voice response unit is detected. The voice response unit is assigned to the spare time slot on the voice bus. A voice response device, comprising: a control means for allocating a voice response unit for the voice response device. 2. A voice response unit for reading and outputting a digitized voice signal, a voice bus for time-division multiplexing the digital signal output by the voice response unit, and an analog digital signal on the voice bus. In a voice response device provided with a D / A conversion unit for converting into a signal and outputting as voice, a plurality of the voice response units including a spare unit are fixedly assigned to the time slot of the voice bus, and the D / A A
The conversion unit is variably assigned to the time slot on the voice bus, and when the abnormality of the voice response unit is detected, the auxiliary voice response unit is operated instead of the voice response unit which is abnormal to detect an abnormality. The voice response device is provided with a control means for allocating the output of the backup voice response unit to the D / A conversion unit to which the output of the voice response unit has been assigned.