JP7255404B2 - ELECTRONIC DEVICE, ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present application relates to an electronic device, a method of controlling the electronic device, and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic device such as an electronic blackboard, which includes a sound output unit such as a speaker and a sound collection unit such as a microphone, and allows a conference to be held by voice while interactively sharing a screen, has been widely used.

Further, an electronic device is disclosed that controls sound output by a plurality of speakers or sound collection by a microphone in accordance with the position of an obstacle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, in the device of Patent Document 1, it may not be possible to appropriately control sound output or sound collection.

An object of the technology disclosed herein is to appropriately control sound output or sound collection.

An electronic device according to an aspect of the disclosed technology is configured such that, based on a sound collection state in which predetermined sounds sequentially output by each of the plurality of sound output units are collected by the plurality of sound output units, the plurality of sound output units and an obstacle determination unit that determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the vicinity of the plurality of sound collectors; and at least one of the plurality of sound output units or the plurality of sound collectors in response to the presence or absence of the obstacle. and a sound control unit for controlling the

According to the technology disclosed, sound output or sound collection can be appropriately controlled.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conference system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of an electronic blackboard according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the installation example of the electronic blackboard which concerns on embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of an electronic blackboard according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st example of an obstacle determination result. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of an obstacle determination result. It is a figure which shows the 3rd example of an obstacle determination result. It is a figure which shows the 4th example of an obstacle determination result. 4 is a flowchart showing processing by a processing unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an electronic blackboard according to the second embodiment; It is a figure which shows the example of a display by a display part.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

In the embodiment, based on a sound collection state in which predetermined sounds sequentially output by each of the plurality of sound output units are collected by the plurality of sound collectors, near the plurality of sound output units and the plurality of sound collectors Sound output or sound collection is appropriately controlled by determining the presence or absence of an obstacle and controlling at least one of a plurality of sound output units or a plurality of sound collection units in response to the determination result.

Embodiments will be described below by taking as an example a conference system including a plurality of remotely installed electronic blackboards. Here, the electronic blackboard is an example of the "electronic device". Also, the speakers included in the electronic blackboard are an example of the "plurality of sound output units", and the multiple microphones included in the electronic blackboard are examples of the "plurality of sound collectors".

<Conference system configuration example>
First, the configuration of the conference system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a conference system. As shown in FIG. 1, the conference system 1 includes electronic blackboards 2 to 5, a conference server 6, and a conference reservation server 7, which are interconnected via a network 100 such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). communicatively connected to

Each of the electronic blackboards 2 to 5 is an IWB (Interactive White Board: a whiteboard having an electronic blackboard function capable of mutual communication), which is a communication terminal installed at a different location. The conference server 6 monitors the state of whether or not each of the electronic blackboards 2 to 5 is connected to the conference server 6, and controls the conference at the start of the conference, the call control of the electronic blackboards 2 to 5, and the control at the time of the conference. conduct.

Taking the electronic blackboard 2 out of the electronic blackboards 2 to 5 as an example, the electronic blackboard 2 at the time of the meeting transmits voice data to the conference server 6 when transmitting data from its own terminal, and the conference server 6 transmits the voice data to the other party. The audio data is transmitted to the other electronic blackboards 3 to 5 on the side. Also, when receiving data, voice data of other electronic whiteboards 3 to 5 on the other party's side are received via the conference server 6 .

For example, when a conference is held using the electronic blackboards 2 to 4, the data transmitted by the electronic blackboard 2 is transmitted to the electronic blackboards 3 and 4 via the conference server 6, and is not transmitted to the electronic blackboard 5. Similarly, the data of the electronic blackboards 3 and 4 are transmitted via the conference server 6 to the electronic blackboards 2 participating in the conference and not transmitted to the electronic blackboards 5 not participating in the conference.

By performing such control, a conference can be held between a plurality of electronic blackboards (multiple locations).

The conference reservation server 7 can be connected not only to the electronic whiteboards 2 to 5 but also to a PC (Personal Computer). The conference organizer can input conference information to the conference reservation server 7 in advance. The conference information includes the date and time of the conference, place, conference participants, roles, electronic blackboards to be used, and the like.

The electronic blackboards 2 to 5 inquire of the conference reservation server 7 when activated, and when finding a corresponding conference, control the conference based on information set in advance.

However, the configuration of the conference system 1 is not limited to the above, and the number of electronic blackboards 2 to 5 (the number of bases) included in the conference system 1 can be arbitrarily changed.

Further, the electronic blackboard 2 may be any device having a communication function, such as a PJ (Projector), an image forming device, an output device such as a digital signage, a HUD (Head Up Display) device, an industrial machine, an imaging device, a collection device, and so on. Sound devices, medical equipment, network appliances, notebook PCs (Personal Computers), mobile phones, smart phones, tablet terminals, game machines, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), digital cameras, wearable PCs, desktop PCs, and the like.

<Hardware Configuration of Electronic Blackboard 2>
Next, the hardware configuration of the electronic blackboard 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following, the electronic blackboard 2 will be used as an example to describe the configuration, etc., but the other electronic blackboards 3 to 5 in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic whiteboard 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the electronic blackboard 2 includes a processing section 20 . The processing unit 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 204, and a network I/F (Interface). 205 and an external device connection I/F (Interface) 206 .

Among these, the CPU 201 controls the operation of the entire electronic blackboard 2 . The ROM 202 stores programs used to drive the CPU 201, such as the CPU 201 and an IPL (Initial Program Loader). A RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201 . The SSD 204 stores various data such as programs for the electronic blackboard 2 .

A network I/F 205 controls communication with the network 100 . The external device connection I/F 206 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The external devices in this case are, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 230 and external devices (microphone group 240, speaker group 250, camera 260).

The electronic blackboard 2 also includes a capture device 211, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 212, a display controller 213, a contact sensor 214, a contact sensor controller 215, an electronic pen controller 216, an orientation sensor 217, an orientation sensor A controller 218 , a short-range communication circuit 219 , an antenna 219 a of the short-range communication circuit 219 , a power switch 222 , and selection switches 223 are provided.

Among them, the capture device 211 causes the display 280 to display video information corresponding to the display content of the display of the external PC 270 as a still image or moving image. The GPU 212 is a semiconductor chip that specializes in graphics. The display controller 213 controls and manages screen display in order to output an output image from the GPU 212 to the display 280 or the like. The contact sensor 214 detects that the electronic pen 290 , the user's hand H, or the like touches the display 280 .

Contact sensor controller 215 controls the processing of contact sensor 214 . The contact sensor 214 performs coordinate input and coordinate detection using an infrared shielding method. In this coordinate input and coordinate detection method, two light emitting/receiving devices installed at both ends of the upper side of the display 280 radiate a plurality of infrared rays parallel to the display 280, and are provided around the display 280. This is a method of receiving light that is reflected by a reflecting member and returns along the same optical path as that of light emitted by a light receiving element.

The contact sensor 214 outputs to the contact sensor controller 215 the ID of the infrared rays emitted by the two light emitting/receiving devices blocked by the object, and the contact sensor controller 215 identifies the coordinate position of the contact position of the object. The electronic pen controller 216 communicates with the electronic pen 290 to determine whether or not the display 280 has been touched with the tip of the pen or the bottom of the pen.

The attitude sensor 217 is an acceleration sensor that detects the attitude of the electronic blackboard 2 . Based on the output of the attitude sensor 217, the rectangular electronic blackboard 2 is set so that its long sides are horizontal to the ground (horizontal placement) or is set so that its long sides are vertical to the ground. It can detect whether it is set (vertically placed), etc. The orientation sensor controller 218 controls the operation of the orientation sensor 217 and inputs detection values from the orientation sensor 217 . When the attitude sensor 217 detects a change in the installation direction, the direction of the image and handwritten characters displayed on the display 280 is switched.

The short-range communication circuit 219 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The power switch 222 is a switch for switching ON/OFF of the power of the electronic blackboard 2 . The selection switches 223 are, for example, a group of switches for adjusting the brightness and color of the display on the display 280 .

Further, the electronic blackboard 2 has a bus line 210 . A bus line 210 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 201 shown in FIG.

In addition, the contact sensor 214 is not limited to the infrared blocking type, but is a capacitive type touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting a change in capacitance, or identifies the contact position by a voltage change of two opposing resistive films. Various detection means such as a resistive touch panel, an electromagnetic induction touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting electromagnetic induction generated when a contact object touches the display 280, and the like may be used. Further, the electronic pen controller 216 may determine whether or not the part of the electronic pen 290 gripped by the user or other parts of the electronic pen is touched, in addition to the tip and the pen butt of the electronic pen 290 .

<Installation example of electronic blackboard 2>
Next, an installation example of the electronic blackboard 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining an example of installation of the electronic blackboard 2. FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining the case of vertical installation, and FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining the case of horizontal installation. The electronic blackboard 2 is fixed on the pedestal 35 in a vertical position in FIG. 3(a), and is fixed on the pedestal 35 in a horizontal position in FIG. 3(b).

3, the X direction is horizontal to the ground, and the Y direction is vertical to the ground. Also, the Z direction is a direction perpendicular to both the X and Y directions.

Referring to FIG. 3A, a frame 31 is provided around the display surface 30 of the electronic blackboard 2 on all four sides. A frame 32 in FIG. 3A shows a side view of the frame 31 as viewed from the negative X direction side. Similarly, a frame 33 shows a side view of the frame 31 viewed from the positive Y direction side, and a frame 34 shows a side view of the frame 31 viewed from the positive X direction side.

Here, as described above, the electronic blackboard 2 includes the microphone group 240 consisting of a plurality of microphones and the speaker group 250 consisting of a plurality of speakers. The group of microphones 240 and the group of speakers 250 are attached by being inserted into openings formed in the long side portions of the frame 31 of the electronic blackboard 2 . However, when the width of the frame 31 in the XY plane is narrow like the electronic blackboard 2 illustrated in FIG. openings may not be formed.

Therefore, in FIG. 3A, openings are formed in the negative X-direction side and the positive X-direction side of the long side of the frame 31, and the microphone group 240 and the speaker group 250 are attached. It is

As illustrated in the frame 32 , a microphone 240 a of the microphone group 240 and a speaker 250 a of the speaker group 250 are attached to the negative X direction side of the long side of the frame 31 . As shown in the frame 34, a microphone 240b of the microphone group 240 and a speaker 250b of the speaker group 250 are attached to the positive X-direction side of the long side of the frame 31. .

In this case, the microphone 240a faces the negative X direction and collects sound from that direction. Similarly, the speaker 250a also faces the negative X direction, and outputs sound such as voice in that direction. Also, the microphone 240b faces the positive X direction and collects sound from that direction, and similarly the speaker 250b faces the positive X direction and outputs sound such as voice in that direction. .

As shown in FIG. 3A, when the electronic whiteboard 2 is installed vertically, obstacles that hinder sound collection by the microphone group 240 and sound output by the speaker group 250 are the microphone group 240 and the speaker group 250. It does not exist near group 250 . Therefore, sound can be collected by the microphone group 240 and output by the speaker group 250 normally.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the electronic blackboard 2 is placed horizontally, the microphone 240a and the speaker 250a are arranged facing the negative Y direction on the negative Y direction side. become a state. In addition, the microphone 240b and the speaker 250b are placed facing the positive Y direction on the side face portion on the positive Y direction side.

In this case, since the openings of the microphone 240a and the speaker 250a are blocked by the mount 35, the mount 35 becomes an obstacle to the microphone 240a and the speaker 250a, preventing sound collection by the microphone 240a and output of sound by the speaker 250a. It may not work properly.

In the above example, the microphone group 240 and the speaker group 250 of the electronic whiteboard 2 in the horizontal position are blocked by the pedestal 35 as an obstacle, but the obstacle is not limited to this. Even if the electronic blackboard 2 is placed vertically, if the electronic blackboard 2 is installed so that the side surface of the electronic blackboard 2 is in contact with a wall surface, a cabinet, or the like, the wall surface, the cabinet, or the like will become an obstacle, and the microphone group will be disturbed. 240 and speaker group 250 may be blocked.

In the embodiment, the presence or absence of an obstacle in the vicinity of each of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b is determined, and at least one of the speakers 250a and 250b or the microphones 240a and 240b is controlled in response to the determination result. do.

[First embodiment]
<Functional Configuration of Processing Unit 20>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the processing section 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4 , the processing section 20 includes a reference data storage section 21 , an obstacle determination section 22 , a sound control section 23 and a posture change detection section 24 . Among these, the function of the reference data storage unit 21 is realized by the SSD 204 or the like in FIG. It is realized by executing the program of

Among those shown above, the obstacle determination unit 22 causes each of the speakers 250a and 250b included in the speaker group 250 to sequentially generate a predetermined sound such as a pulse sound, and transmits the generated sound to the microphone group 240. The sound is picked up by the included microphones 240a and 240b.

After that, the obstacle determination unit 22 compares the sound data collected by the microphones 240a and 240b with the reference data stored in the reference data storage unit 21, and determines whether or not there is a difference between them. Then, whether or not there is an obstacle in the vicinity of each of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphones 240a, and the microphones 240b is determined based on the determination result of the presence/absence of the difference for each combination of the speaker that generated the sound and the microphone that collected the sound. judge. After that, the determination result of the presence/absence of the obstacle is output to the sound control section 23 . Here, each of the sound data collected by the microphones 240a and 240b is an example of the "sound collection state", and the reference data is an example of the "reference state".

The sound control unit 23 reduces the sound collection level (sound input level) of the microphone determined to have an obstacle nearby, and also reduces the sound output level of the speaker determined to have an obstacle nearby. Lower. Alternatively, the sound collection level (sound input level) of the microphone determined that there is no obstacle nearby is increased, and the sound output level of the speaker determined that there is no obstacle nearby is increased. In other words, the sound control unit 23 controls at least one of output by the speaker and sound collection by the microphone in response to the presence or absence of an obstacle. Note that each of the reduction in the sound collection level and the reduction in the output level includes setting the level to zero (mute state).

Here, the collected sound data is time-series sound pressure data collected by the microphones 240a and 240b at predetermined sampling intervals within a predetermined period when predetermined sounds are generated from the speakers 250a and 250b, respectively. is.

Further, the reference data is obtained when the speakers 250a and 240b are caused to sequentially generate predetermined sounds in a state where there are no obstacles near the speakers 250a and 250b, and the microphones 240a and 240b. are time-series sound pressure data collected at the predetermined sampling period within the predetermined period. Such reference data is acquired in advance and stored in the reference data storage unit 21 .

When determining the presence or absence of an obstacle, the obstacle determination unit 22 determines the sound pressure data within the predetermined period in the collected sound data of the microphones 240a and 240b from the sound pressure data within the predetermined period in the reference data. Subtract the pressure data to find the maximum difference. If the difference is larger than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that there is a difference with respect to the reference data, and if it is smaller than the threshold, it is determined that there is no difference with respect to the reference data.

The determination by the obstacle determination unit 22 and the control by the sound control unit 23 are executed when the electronic blackboard 2 is installed. However, it is not limited to this, and may be executed according to a user's instruction.

Also, when the installation state of the electronic blackboard 2 is changed from vertical to horizontal, the presence or absence of obstacles near the speakers 250a, 250b, and the microphones 240a and 240b may change.

Therefore, the processing unit 20 includes a posture change detection unit 24, and performs determination by the obstacle determination unit 22 and control by the sound control unit 23 when the installation state of the electronic blackboard 2 is changed from vertical to horizontal. .

Posture change detection unit 24 receives posture angle data from posture sensor 217 and compares it with previously input posture angle data. When there is a change equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the obstacle determination unit 22 and the sound control unit 23 are notified that the installation orientation of the electronic blackboard 2 has changed. In response to this notification, the obstacle determination section 22 determines whether or not there is an obstacle, and in response to the determination result, the sound control section 23 executes control.

In the above example, a pulse sound is shown as the predetermined sound, but the sound is not limited to this. A sound with a predetermined single frequency may be used, or a sound string combining a plurality of sounds with different frequencies may be used. Moreover, it may be a mechanically generated sound such as a chime, or may be a sound uttered by a person.

Further, in the example described above, the obstacle determination unit 22 compares collected sound data and reference data to determine the presence or absence of an obstacle, but the present invention is not limited to this. A correspondence relationship between feature values such as sound pressure level or frequency of collected sound data and the presence or absence of obstacles is determined in advance, and based on the feature value such as sound pressure level or frequency of acquired sound data, The presence or absence of an obstacle may be determined with reference to the correspondence relationship.

In the above example, the collected sound data and the reference data are shown as time-series sound pressure data obtained by collecting sound at a predetermined sampling period within a predetermined period, but the present invention is not limited to this. Data after frequency analysis of these sound pressure data may be used as collected sound data and reference data.

Further, in the above-described example, when determining whether there is a difference between collected sound data and reference data at the time of obstacle determination, an example of subtracting both sound pressure data was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. Whether or not there is a difference may be determined based on the difference in power spectrum or phase spectrum in each frequency analysis result.

In the above example, the posture change detection unit 24 notifies that the installation orientation of the electronic blackboard 2 has changed based on the posture angle data input from the posture sensor 217. However, the present invention is not limited to this. not something. When the installation orientation of the electronic blackboard 2 is changed, determination by the obstacle determination unit 22 and control by the sound control unit 23 may be performed in response to interrupt processing by the orientation sensor 217 .

<Example of obstacle judgment>
Next, specific examples of obstacle determination by the obstacle determination unit 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIG. 5 to 8 show the presence/absence of obstacles in the vicinity of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b, respectively, and the correspondence between the presence/absence determination result of the difference between the collected sound data and the reference data for each combination of the speaker and the microphone. It is a figure explaining an example of relation.

With respect to how to read the figures, the columns (horizontal axis) of the table shown in each figure represent speakers 250a and 250b, and the rows (vertical axis) of the table represent microphones 240a and 240b. Also, in each figure, the notation of "o" indicates that there is no difference between the collected sound data and the reference data, and the notation of "x" indicates that there is a difference between the collected sound data and the reference data.

For example, when the speaker 250a generates a predetermined sound, if there is no difference between the collected sound data of the microphone 240a and the reference data, the square where the speaker 250a and the microphone 240a intersect is marked with a circle. Also, when the speaker 250b generates a predetermined sound, if there is a difference between the collected sound data of the microphone 240b and the reference data, an "x" is indicated in the cell where the speaker 250b and the microphone 240b intersect.

First, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a case where there is no obstacle near any of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b. Since there are no obstacles, there is no difference between the collected sound data and the reference data for all combinations of speakers and microphones, and all cells are marked with "○".

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 5 is obtained, the obstacle determination unit 22 determines that there is no obstacle near any of the speaker 250a, speaker 250b, microphone 240a, and microphone 240b.

Next, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a case where there is an obstacle in the vicinity of one of the speakers and one of the microphones. (b) is a diagram for explaining a case where there are obstacles in the vicinity of the speaker 250b and the microphone 240b.

In FIG. 6A, since there is an obstacle near the speaker 250a, the sound generated by the speaker 250a is obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, neither of the microphones 240a and 240b can normally collect the sound, resulting in a difference from the reference data. As a result, "x" is shown in the squares where the speaker 250a and the microphones 240a and 240b intersect.

Moreover, since there is no obstacle in the vicinity of the speaker 250b, the sound generated by the speaker 250b is not obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, the microphone 240b can normally collect the sound, and there is no difference between the sound and the reference data. As a result, the squares where the speaker 250b and the microphone 240b intersect are marked with a circle. On the other hand, since there is an obstacle in the vicinity of the microphone 240a, the microphone 240a cannot normally collect sound, resulting in a difference from the reference data. As a result, "x" is shown in the cell where the speaker 250b and the microphone 240a intersect.

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 6A is obtained, the obstacle determination section 22 determines that there is an obstacle near the speaker 250a and the microphone 240a.

In FIG. 6B, since there is an obstacle near the speaker 250b, the sound generated by the speaker 250b is blocked by the obstacle. Therefore, neither of the microphones 240a and 240b can collect sound normally, and a difference occurs between the reference data and the sound. As a result, "x" is shown in the squares where the speaker 250b and the microphones 240a and 240b intersect.

Moreover, since there is no obstacle in the vicinity of the speaker 250a, the sound generated by the speaker 250a is not obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, the microphone 240a can normally collect sound, and there is no difference from the reference data. As a result, the squares where the speaker 250a and the microphone 240a intersect are marked with a circle. On the other hand, since there is an obstacle in the vicinity of the microphone 240b, the microphone 240b cannot normally collect sound, resulting in a difference from the reference data. As a result, "X" is shown in the cell where the speaker 250a and the microphone 240b intersect.

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 6B is obtained, the obstacle determination section 22 determines that there is an obstacle near the speaker 250b and the microphone 240b.

Next, FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining the case where there is an obstacle near one of the speakers. FIG. 7A is a diagram for explaining the case where there is an obstacle near the speaker 250a, and FIG. is a diagram for explaining a case where there is an obstacle in the vicinity of .

In FIG. 7A, since there is an obstacle near the speaker 250a, the sound generated by the speaker 250a is obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, neither of the microphones 240a and 240b can collect sound normally, and a difference occurs between the reference data and the sound. As a result, "x" is shown in the squares where the speaker 250a and the microphones 240a and 240b intersect.

Moreover, since there is no obstacle in the vicinity of the speaker 250b, the sound generated by the speaker 250b is not obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, both the microphones 240a and 240b can normally collect sound, and no difference from the reference data occurs. As a result, the cells where the speaker 250b and the microphones 240a and 240b intersect are marked with a circle.

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 6A is obtained, the obstacle determination section 22 determines that there is an obstacle near the speaker 250a.

In FIG. 7B, since there is an obstacle near the speaker 250b, the sound generated by the speaker 250b is blocked by the obstacle. Therefore, neither of the microphones 240a and 240b can collect sound normally, and a difference occurs between the reference data and the sound. As a result, "x" is shown in the squares where the speaker 250b and the microphones 240a and 240b intersect.

Moreover, since there is no obstacle in the vicinity of the speaker 250a, the sound generated by the speaker 250a is not obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, both the microphones 240a and 240b can normally collect sound, and no difference from the reference data occurs. As a result, the cells where the speaker 250a and the microphones 240a and 240b intersect are marked with a circle.

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 7B is obtained, the obstacle determination section 22 determines that there is an obstacle near the speaker 250b.

Next, FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining a case where an obstacle is present near one of the microphones, FIG. 8A being a diagram explaining a case where an obstacle is present near microphone 240a, is a diagram for explaining a case where there is an obstacle in the vicinity of .

In FIG. 8A, since there is an obstacle in the vicinity of the microphone 240a, the microphone 240a cannot normally collect the sounds generated by the speakers 250a and 250b, and there is no difference between the sound and the reference data. occur. As a result, an "x" is shown in the square where each of the speakers 250a and 250b and the microphone 240a intersect.

Also, since there is no obstacle in the vicinity of the microphone 240b, the microphone 240b can normally collect both sounds generated by the speakers 250a and 250b, and there is no difference between the sound and the reference data. As a result, the cells where the speakers 250a and 250b and the microphone 240b intersect are marked with a circle.

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 8A is obtained, the obstacle determination section 22 determines that there is an obstacle near the microphone 240a.

In FIG. 8B, since there is an obstacle near the microphone 240b, the microphone 240b cannot normally collect the sounds generated by the speakers 250a and 250b, and there is no difference between the sound and the reference data. occur. As a result, "x" is shown in the square where each of the speakers 250a and 250b and the microphone 240b intersect.

Also, since there is no obstacle near the microphone 240a, the microphone 240a can normally collect the sounds generated by the speakers 250a and 250b, and there is no difference between the sound and the reference data. As a result, the cells where the speakers 250a and 250b and the microphone 240a intersect are marked with a circle.

Therefore, when the result shown in FIG. 8B is obtained, the obstacle determination section 22 determines that there is an obstacle near the microphone 240b.

<Processing by processing unit 20>
Next, processing by the processing unit 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the processing unit 20. As shown in FIG. In order to simplify the description, in the description of FIG. 9, regarding the determination result of the presence or absence of an obstacle by the obstacle determination unit 22, it is assumed that there is no obstacle near any of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b. Let A be the determination result when there is no (FIG. 5). Also, B is the judgment result when there is an obstacle near one of the speakers and one of the microphones (Fig. 6), and C is the judgment result when there is an obstacle near one of the speakers (Fig. 7). Let D be the determination result when there is an obstacle near one of the microphones (FIG. 8).

First, in step S91, the posture change detection unit 24 receives posture angle data from the posture sensor 217, and compares the posture angle data with previously input posture angle data to determine whether or not there has been a change equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

If it is determined in step S91 that the change in posture angle data is not greater than or equal to the threshold (step S91, No), the processing unit 20 ends the process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S91 that the change in the posture angle data is greater than or equal to the threshold (Yes in step S91), the posture change detection unit 24 detects that the installation orientation of the electronic whiteboard 2 has changed. The determination unit 22 and the sound control unit 23 are respectively notified.

Subsequently, in step S92, the obstacle determination unit 22 sequentially causes the speakers 250a and 250b to generate pulse sounds.

Subsequently, in step S93, the obstacle determination unit 22 causes the microphones 240a and 240b to collect the generated pulse sounds. Here, the microphones 240a and 240b may sequentially collect sounds, or may collect sounds in parallel.

Subsequently, in step S94, the obstacle determination unit 22 compares the sound data collected by the microphones 240a and 240b with the reference data, and determines whether or not there is a difference between them. Then, based on the determination result for each combination of the speaker that generated the sound and the microphone that collected the sound, it is determined whether or not there is an obstacle in the vicinity of each of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b. . After that, the obstacle determination section 22 outputs the determination result of the presence or absence of an obstacle to the sound control section 23 .

Subsequently, in step S95, the sound control unit 23 determines whether or not the determination result by the obstacle determination unit 22 is "A".

If it is determined in step S95 that the determination result is not A (step S95, No), the processing section 20 ends the process.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the determination result is A in step S95 (step S95, Yes), the process proceeds to step S96.

Subsequently, in step S96, the sound control unit 23 determines whether the determination result by the obstacle determination unit 22 is B or not.

If it is determined in step S96 that the determination result is B (step S96, Yes), in step S97, the sound control unit 23 controls the output of the speaker with the obstacle nearby and the output of the speaker with the obstacle nearby. Controls microphone pick-up. After that, the processing unit 20 terminates the processing.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the determination result is not B (step S96, No), the process proceeds to step S98.

Subsequently, in step 98, the sound control section 23 determines whether or not the determination result by the obstacle determining section 22 is C.

If it is determined in step S98 that the determination result is C (step S98, Yes), in step S99 the sound control unit 23 controls the output of the speaker having an obstacle nearby. After that, the processing unit 20 terminates the processing.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the determination result is not C (step S98, No), in step S100, the sound control unit 23 controls sound collection by the microphone having an obstacle nearby. After that, the processing unit 20 terminates the processing.

In this way, the processing unit 20 determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the vicinity of each of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b, and responds to the determination result by outputting the output of the speaker 250a and/or 250b. , or at least one of the microphones 240a and/or 240b.

Note that FIG. 9 shows an example in which the processing after step S92 is executed according to the detection result by the posture change detection unit 24. The processing after step S92 may be executed according to an instruction or the like.

<Action and effect of the electronic blackboard 2>
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic device such as an electronic blackboard, which includes a sound output unit such as a speaker and a sound collection unit such as a microphone, and allows a conference to be held by voice while interactively sharing a screen, has been widely used.

However, in electronic devices such as electronic whiteboards, due to the recent thinning of the display and the narrowing of the frame of the display, the speaker and microphone cannot be installed on the front side of the display. Sometimes. Also, if the speaker or microphone is attached to the side of the frame in a direction that intersects the front, the speaker or microphone will be blocked by the place where the electronic blackboard is installed or the member that fixes the electronic blackboard, resulting in the sound output by the speaker and It may not be possible to ensure the performance and quality of the sound collected by the microphone. Furthermore, if an obstacle is placed near the speaker or microphone, not only will the input/output sound pressure level drop, but the performance of the echo canceller will deteriorate and unnecessary noise from the sound of an obstacle placed near the microphone will be mixed in. There is also

If it is an electronic blackboard with a fixed installation direction, it is possible to take measures against the above cases by devising the mounting positions of the speakers and microphones, but with an electronic blackboard that can be installed in a different direction, various objects around it can be considered. Since it can be an obstacle, countermeasures may be difficult.

Also disclosed is an electronic device that detects the positions of obstacles around the electronic device and controls sound output by multiple speakers provided in the electronic device or sound collection by a microphone based on the detected obstacle positions. It is However, in this electronic device, when the position where the obstacle is placed is not known in advance, it may not be possible to appropriately control sound output or sound collection.

In this embodiment, based on the sound collection state in which the microphones 240a and 240b collect predetermined sounds sequentially output by the speakers 250a and 250b, the vicinity of each of the speakers 250a and 250b and the microphones 240a and 240b is detected. Determine the presence or absence of an obstacle in Then, in response to the determination result, at least one of output by the speakers 250a and/or 250b and sound collection by the microphones 240a and/or 240b is controlled.

This makes it possible to appropriately control sound output or sound collection. Then, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the output level of the speaker, a decrease in the sound collection level of the microphone, deterioration in the performance of the echo canceller, or unnecessary noise mixing, etc., caused by an obstacle in the vicinity. In addition, since the presence or absence of an obstacle in the vicinity of each of the speaker 250a, the speaker 250b, the microphone 240a, and the microphone 240b is determined, sound output or sound collection can be performed even when the position of the obstacle is not known in advance. Good control.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the installation orientation of the electronic blackboard 2 is changed, the obstacle determination unit 22 determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in response to the detection result by the posture change detection unit 24, and controls the sound. A unit 23 executes control. Since the light-weight electronic whiteboard 2 can be easily changed in orientation such as horizontal, vertical, or horizontal orientation, the orientation may be flexibly changed even during a meeting. Even in such a case, sound output or sound collection can be appropriately controlled in a timely manner.

[Second embodiment]
Next, the electronic blackboard 2a according to the second embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, when there is an obstacle in the vicinity of all the sound output units out of the plurality of sound output units, or when there is an obstacle in the vicinity of all the sound collection units out of the plurality of sound collection units In at least one case, a notification prompting removal of the obstacle is displayed.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the processing section 20a included in the electronic blackboard 2a according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10 , the processing unit 20a includes a display unit 25. As shown in FIG. The functions of the display unit 25 are realized by the CPU 201 in FIG. 2 executing a predetermined program or the like.

If there are obstacles near both the speakers 250a and 250b, or if there are obstacles near both the microphones 240a and 240b, the display unit 25 displays a notification prompting the removal of the obstacles. , is displayed on the display 280 or the like.

Here, FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the notification displayed by the display unit 25. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, a notification 291 is displayed on the display 280 stating "There are obstacles in front of all speakers or all microphones, please remove them!" By visually recognizing such a notification, the user can recognize that the obstacle needs to be removed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, if there is an obstacle near both the speakers 250a and 250b or if there is an obstacle near both the microphones 240a and 240b, the obstacle display a notification prompting the removal of As a result, when the voice conference becomes difficult due to the presence of an obstacle, the voice conference can be appropriately held by having the user take measures such as removing the obstacle.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments above, but is capable of various modifications and alterations without departing from the scope of the claims.

Also, in the embodiment, the microphone group 240 consists of two microphones 240a and 240b, and the speaker group 250 consists of two speakers 250a and 250b, but the present invention is not limited to this. The embodiment described above can also be applied when the microphone group 240 is composed of three or more microphones and the speaker group 250 is composed of three or more speakers.

Also, in the embodiments, an example in which the electronic device is an electronic blackboard is shown, but the electronic device is not limited to this. The above-described embodiments can be applied to any electronic device that includes at least one of a plurality of sound output units and a plurality of sound collectors.

Embodiments also include a control method for an electronic device. For example, a control method for an electronic device includes: based on a sound collection state in which predetermined sounds sequentially generated by each of a plurality of sound output units are collected by a plurality of sound collectors, the plurality of sound output units and the plurality of determining whether or not there is an obstacle in the vicinity of the sound collecting unit; and controlling. With such an electronic device control method, the same effects as those of the electronic device described above can be obtained.

Embodiments also include programs. For example, the program may include the plurality of sound output units and the plurality of sound collectors based on a sound collection state in which predetermined sounds sequentially generated by the plurality of sound output units are collected by the plurality of sound collectors. determining the presence or absence of an obstacle in the vicinity of the , and controlling at least one of output by the plurality of sound output units or sound collection by the plurality of sound collection units in response to the presence or absence of the obstacle. let it run. With such a program, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the electronic device described above.

Also, each function of the embodiments described above can be implemented by one or more processing circuits. Here, the "processing circuit" in this specification means a processor programmed by software to perform each function, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, or a processor designed to perform each function described above. devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) and conventional circuit modules.

1 Conference system 2-5 Electronic blackboard (an example of electronic equipment)
6 Conference server 7 Conference reservation server 20 Processing unit 21 Reference data storage unit 22 Obstacle determination unit 23 Sound control unit 24 Attitude change detection unit 25 Display unit 217 Attitude sensor 240 Microphone group (an example of sound collection unit)
250 speaker group (an example of the sound output part)
280 Display 291 Notification

JP 2006-180039 A

Claims (7)

Obstacles in the vicinity of the plurality of sound output units and the plurality of sound collectors based on a sound collection state in which the plurality of sound collectors collect predetermined sounds sequentially output by each of the plurality of sound output units an obstacle determination unit that determines the presence or absence of
and a sound control section that controls at least one of the plurality of sound output sections or the plurality of sound collection sections in response to the presence or absence of the obstacle. When the attitude of the electronic device changes,
The obstacle determination unit determines the presence or absence of the obstacle,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sound control section controls at least one of the plurality of sound output sections or the plurality of sound collection sections. The obstacle determination unit,
3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of the obstacle is determined by comparing a predetermined reference state with the sound collection state. The reference state is
The predetermined sounds sequentially output by each of the sound output units are applied to the plurality of sound collectors in a state where there is no obstacle in the vicinity of each of the plurality of sound output units and each of the plurality of sound collectors. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the sound part is in a sound collecting state. At least in the case where the obstacle exists in the vicinity of all the sound output units among the plurality of sound output units, or in the case where the obstacle exists in the vicinity of all the sound collection units among the plurality of sound collection units 5. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a display unit for displaying a notification prompting removal of the obstacle in one case. Obstacles in the vicinity of the plurality of sound output units and the plurality of sound collectors based on a sound collection state in which the plurality of sound collectors collect predetermined sounds sequentially generated by each of the plurality of sound output units A step of determining the presence or absence of
and controlling at least one of the plurality of sound output units or the plurality of sound collection units in response to the presence or absence of the obstacle. Obstacles in the vicinity of the plurality of sound output units and the plurality of sound collectors based on a sound collection state in which the plurality of sound collectors collect predetermined sounds sequentially generated by each of the plurality of sound output units determine the presence or absence of
A program that causes a computer to execute processing for controlling at least one of the plurality of sound output units or the plurality of sound collection units in response to the presence or absence of the obstacle.

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