JPH02264299A - Speech synthesizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To preclude malfunction due to environmental variation by an environmental illuminance measurement sensor and a proximity illuminance sensor in series and arranging both the sensors as sides of a bridge circuit which drives a sounding device to operate. CONSTITUTION:The environmental illuminance measurement sensor 3 and proximity illuminance sensor 4 which are connected in series are arranged as sides of the bridge circuit C which drives the sounding device 10 to operate. Further, the time of dummy sound generation by the sounding device 10 when an operation signal continues for longer than a constant time is set shorter than the time of normal dummy sound generation through a control element 3. Thus, the environmental illuminance measurement sensor 3 and proximity illuminance sensor 4 are connected in series in the circuit, so even if the illuminance of the installation environment of both the sensors varies, the voltage developed at their connection point is held invariably constant and does not vary and the sound generating device is not driven until the voltages generated by both the sensors 3 and 4 have a certain difference. Consequently, the malfunction due to the environmental variation is precluded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a speech synthesis device that generates an onomatopoeic sound that camouflages the sound of using a toilet, for example.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, devices using this type of speech synthesis have been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-198999 and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-18173.
As proposed in the publication, an onomatopoeic sound generating device that generates an onomatopoeic sound that camouflages the sound of using the toilet while using the toilet, and a switch that drives this device are installed in the toilet, especially when women are using the toilet while using the toilet. In order to avoid having people hear the sound of urination, there is a device that generates the above-mentioned onomatopoeic sound by manually operating this switch when urinating. is manipulated, giving the user a sense of uncleanness.

In order to eliminate this sense of uncleanness, we developed a device that generates onomatopoeic sounds without manually operating a switch.
As proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 00, there is also an onomatopoeic sound generating device that generates an onomatopoeic sound that camouflages the sound of using a toilet while using a toilet via a foot-operated switch.

Furthermore, Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-14349 was developed as an onomatopoeic sound generating device that camouflages the sound of using a toilet while defecating using a manual method or other means than a foot-operated switch.
As shown in one embodiment of Publication No. 7, there is an onomatopoeic sound generating device that uses a proximity switch to generate an onomatopoeic sound that camouflages the sound of using a toilet while using the toilet, and other embodiments and implementations of Publication No. 143497/1982. As proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-31180, photoelectric devices as non-contact sensors that are electrically connected to each other when there is no shield are installed at corresponding parts of the side walls of the toilet room, and photoelectric devices are installed as non-contact sensors that are electrically connected to each other when there is no shielding object. There is a device that generates a sound that imitates the sound of a water washer through a sound generating device when the continuity between the devices is blocked, and camouflages the sound of urination during urination with the sound of the water washer. Other possible non-contact sensors include infrared pyroelectric sensors, sensors that utilize reflected ultrasonic waves, and sensors that detect changes in capacitance.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, all such non-contact sensors are expensive;
It was not practical for use in low-cost products such as onomatopoeia generators.

On the other hand, there is a relatively low-cost sensor that uses a CdS element that can detect changes in illuminance to detect changes in illuminance when a person places their hand over a switch (using the photoelectric device described above). However, devices using such photoelectric sensors tend to malfunction due to ambient light, and may also be affected by changes in illuminance around the sensor installation site or by turning lights on and off.
However, there were many unstable factors such as the drive switch of the onomatopoeia generating device operating, and there were problems that it could not be said to be practical.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and includes a sounding device, an environmental illuminance measurement sensor and a proximity illuminance sensor that can be placed at different positions on the device body, and an environmental illuminance sensor. A control element having a function of causing the sound generation device to generate sound using a measurement sensor and a proximity illuminance sensor, and both sensors connected in series are each one side of a bridge circuit that drives the operation of the sound generation device, and the operation is performed. The onomatopoeia generation time from the sound generating device when the signal continues for a certain period of time or more is made shorter than the onomatopoeia generation time during normal generation via a control element.

By doing this, the environmental illuminance measurement sensor and the proximity illuminance sensor are each connected in series on the circuit, so even if the illuminance of the environment in which both sensors are installed changes, the voltage generated at the connection point will always remain constant. The sound generating device will not be driven until the voltage drops and stops changing, and a certain amount of voltage difference occurs between the voltages generated by both sensors.

Example An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the configuration of the embodiment, 1 is the main body of the device, for example, inside a toilet (not shown) that is within easy reach of the user when the user takes a toilet posture. is attached to. Reference numeral 2 denotes a drive switch, which is provided in the main body 1 of the device and drives the sound generation device (hereinafter referred to as a speaker) 10, which will be described later.

Reference numerals 3 and 4 denote an environmental illuminance measurement sensor and a proximity illuminance sensor made of CdS, respectively, which are installed at different positions in the device main body 1, and the resistance value of both sensors 3 and 4 increases when the sensing light is blocked. The environmental illuminance measurement sensor 3 measures the illuminance in the environment of the installation site, and the proximity illuminance sensor 4 detects the illuminance that changes due to the approach of a human body or an object. D is a comparator and e
A bridge circuit C consisting of both sensors 3.4 connected in series to the pole, and a resistor R□ and a resistor R2 connected in series.
The voltage at point A generated at the proximity illuminance sensor 4, which is one side of , is applied, and the voltage at point B generated at the resistor R2 is also applied to the e pole of the comparator D. The output from the comparator D is connected to a control element 5, which will be described later.
The sound is made to start from 0. 5 is a control element consisting of a microcomputer, and the onomatopoeic data RO to be described later.
It controls the operation of M7 and speech synthesis LSI 6. 7 is an onomatopoeia data ROM in which digitally processed onomatopoeia data is stored. 6 is a speech synthesis LSI,
It has a function of reading the onomatopoeic data extracted from the ROM 7, performing D/A conversion on the assembled and synthesized onomatopoeia, and outputting an analog signal. The drive switch 2 is also connected to the control element 5, and when operated separately from the output from the comparator D mentioned above.

An operation signal is input to the control element 5 so that an onomatopoeic sound is produced from a speaker 10, which will be described later. Reference numerals 8 and 9 are amplification elements (hereinafter referred to as amplifiers) consisting of a filter and an amplifier, respectively, and the filter 8 eliminates noise in the high frequency signal contained in the analog signal outputted via the voice synthesis LSI 6, and The amplifier 9 amplifies the high frequency signal from which noise has been removed via the filter 8. A speaker 10 emits a signal (here, an onomatopoeic sound that camouflages the sound of using the toilet) amplified through a filter 8 and an amplifier 9.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When producing the above-mentioned onomatopoeia using a device having such a configuration (description of the case where the drive switch 2 is used is omitted),
First, when the user takes a urinal posture, when the user places his hand in front of the proximity illuminance sensor 4 to block the light detected by the proximity illuminance sensor 4, the resistance of the illumination sensor 4, which is one side of the bridge circuit C, increases. As shown in FIG. 3, the voltage at point A becomes higher than before the hand is placed in front of the proximity illuminance sensor 4, and is applied to the e pole of the comparator D. At this time, Φ of comparator D
The voltage at point B applied to the pole is applied to the resistor R1 as shown in Figure 3.
Because of the constant voltage division between and resistor R2, comparator D
The voltage A applied to the θ pole of is.

Voltage A>voltage B..., and the output signal from comparator D is input to control element 5.

When the voltage (signal) applied from the proximity illuminance sensor 4 to the e-pole of the comparator D is for a certain period of time as shown in FIG. Speech synthesis LSI 6 to achieve the pronunciation state as shown.
A speech synthesis instruction signal is input to the . The voice synthesis LSI 6, which receives this voice synthesis instruction signal, reads the onomatopoeic data extracted from the onomatopoeia data ROM 7, performs voice synthesis, and outputs an analog signal that has been D/A converted. At this time, the output analog signal is converted from a digital signal and therefore contains a lot of high frequency noise, so the noise is removed through a filter 8, and the signal output is amplified by an amplifier 9. This amplified signal (an onomatopoeic sound that camouflages the sound of using the toilet) is emitted from the speaker 10.

On the other hand, even after the voice synthesis instruction signal is input to the voice synthesis LSI 6, the control element 5 continues to detect the presence or absence of an input that blocks the light sensed by the proximity illumination sensor 4, as shown in FIG. measure. Moreover, if the continuous input continues for a certain period of time as shown in Figure 5, the set value of the voice generation time should be shortened and reset so that the sound generation state is as shown by the solid line in the figure. , inputs a speech synthesis instruction signal to the speech synthesis LSI 6.

Therefore, even if, for example, the setting sun hits the environmental illuminance measurement sensor and the above-mentioned voltage A<voltage B...> continues for a certain period of time, the sound generating device To prevent frequent occurrence of onomatopoeia by generating a shorter onomatopoeia via a control element than the onomatopoeia generation time during normal generation without causing the onomatopoeia to occur constantly.

As described above, the present invention includes an environmental illuminance measurement sensor, a proximity illuminance sensor, and a control element that has a function of causing a sound generation device to generate sound using both of these sensors. Moreover, the environmental illuminance measurement sensor and the proximity illuminance sensor are connected in series, and both sensors are used as one side of the bridge circuit that drives the operation of the sound generating device. Even if the illuminance of the environment changes, the voltage generated at that connection point will always remain constant and will not change, and the sound generator will not drive until a voltage difference of more than a certain level occurs between the voltages generated by these two sensors. For example, even if the setting sun hits the environmental illuminance measurement sensor and the voltage A > voltage B... continues for a certain period of time, onomatopoeic sounds will be generated from the 5 sound generating devices. To provide a stable speech synthesis device that prevents malfunctions due to changes in the environment, such as generating onomatopoeia that is not constant and shorter than the normal onomatopoeic generation time through a control element, and preventing frequent occurrence of onomatopoeias. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of the main body of a speech synthesis device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a part of the sensor circuit of the non-access switch, and a block diagram related to the device. is the state of change in voltage A when you hold your hand in front of the proximity illuminance sensor to block the light detected by the proximity illuminance sensor and before you hold your hand in front of the proximity illuminance sensor, and the voltage A and voltage B. FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the control element, and FIG. 5 is a time chart regarding human power and sound generation of the sensor. 1... Device body, 3... Environmental illuminance measurement sensor 4
... Proximity illuminance sensor 5 ... Control element. 10... Sound generating device, C... Bridge circuit,
t... fixed time.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A sound generation device (10) that generates onomatopoeic sounds, an environmental illuminance measurement sensor (3) that measures the illuminance in the environment of installation parts placed at different positions of the device body (1), and a sensor that measures illuminance that changes depending on the approach of a human body or an object. Proximity illumination sensor (4) generates an operation signal when detecting illuminance, and the sound generation device (10) generates sound based on the measurement results of the environmental illuminance measurement sensor (3) and the operation signal from the proximity illuminance sensor (4). In a speech synthesizer comprising a control element (5) having a function of tightening, both sensors (3) are connected in series.
, (4) are each side of the bridge circuit C that drives the operation of the sounding device (10), and the onomatopoeia generation time from the sounding device (10) when the operation signal continues for a certain period of time (t) or more. A speech synthesis device characterized in that the onomatopoeia generation time is made shorter than the normal generation time via a control element (5).