JPH03289923A - Hot water supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the extremely good recognition of a speech signal for the transmission of a prompting message, and prevent the malfunction of a hot water supply device by transmitting a user's speech signal only after the recognition thereof. CONSTITUTION:A user gives a prompting message to a speech input means 17. For example, when the user prompts 'shower' or the like, the speech is inputted to a speech recognition means 18, and the signal thereof is divided into each specific frequency by a speech analysis means 19 via a filter. Then, a standard pattern is taken out from a standard pattern register means 20, and compared with an input signal divided with a similarity operation means 21. A recognition means 22 detects a word to be recognized and outputs a recognized prompting message for transmission via a transmission means 23. The transmitted message is received with a receiving means 24 of a control section 15. When the message is for the start of hot water supply, an energizing amount setting means 26 determines an energizing amount for a flow control means 12 and outputs a corresponding signal, thereby starting hot water supply to a faucet 13 or a shower 14. Also, when the message is for water water temperature control, the aforesaid means 26 determines an operation amount optimum for a hot water control means 27, and outputs the signal of the amount to a hot water means 11, thereby making hot water temperature adjustment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water heater equipped with a shower operation interface that allows a user to comfortably use hot water.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, this type of water heater has a configuration shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 147864/1983. First, the configuration of a conventional example will be explained with reference to FIG.

In Fig. 4, 1 is the tip of the shower tube, 2 is the water outlet, and 3 is the microphone. 4 is an identification section, 5 is a transmission section, 6 is a reception section,
7 is a control section. 8 is a water heater, and 9 is connected to the shower nozzle tip 1 via a hot water supply pipe.

Next, the operation of this configuration will be explained. The voice generated by the user is received by the microphone 3, and the received voice signal is modulated by the transmitter 5 and radiated to the outside. The modulated signal is received by the receiver 6.
Then, the receiver outputs it to the identification section 4.

The receiving unit 6 performs recognition processing on the received and demodulated voice signal to detect the content of the voice command. The content of the detected voice command is output to the control unit 7, and the control unit 7 controls the water heater 8 to adjust the water temperature and flow rate according to the voice command. The controlled hot water is then sent to the shower nozzle l through the hot water supply pipe 9.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Such conventional water heaters have had the following problems. The voice input from the microphone 3 is transmitted from the transmitting section, and the transmitting signal is received at the receiving section 6. Then, the instruction voice is recognized by the identification unit 4 based on the received signal. However, since various noises are also received in addition to the voice when receiving the voice, the recognition unit 4 is likely to misrecognize the voice, making it inconvenient to use.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a water heater that improves usability and reliability without erroneous recognition by recognizing an input instruction voice signal and then transmitting it.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a voice input means for inputting the user's instruction voice, a voice recognition means for recognizing the input instruction voice, and a voice recognition means for recognizing the input voice instruction. It consists of a transmitting means for transmitting an instruction audio signal, and a receiving means for receiving the audio signal transmitted from the transmitting means.

Function: With the above configuration, the water heater of the present invention recognizes the voice given by the user through the voice input means using the voice recognition means. Next, the recognized audio signal is transmitted by the transmitting means. The transmitted signal is received by the receiving means. Based on the received signal, for example, you can control the supply of hot water from a water heater or stop it.
Alternatively, the water temperature may be controlled.

In this way, the voice commanded by the user is first recognized and then transmitted, making it less susceptible to external noise and improving usability.

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

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the present invention, and the same components as those of the prior art shown in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals.

First, the present invention will be explained in detail. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a mixing means, which mixes the high-temperature hot water sent from the water heater 8 and tap water to produce hot water suitable for showers and the like.

11 is a hot water supply means, and in FIG.
Consists of 0. Further, the hot water supply means 11 may be composed of only the hot water supply device 8. Reference numeral 12 denotes a flow rate UR control means, which switches the hot water outlet to the tap 13 and the shower 14, and also performs hot water supply, stopping, and flow rate adjustment.

15 is a control unit, which includes a hot water supply means 11 and a flow rate adjustment means 12;
control. Reference numeral 16 denotes an operating means for issuing instructions to start or stop hot water, or to adjust hot water temperature.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the control section 15 and the operating means 16.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 17 denotes a voice input means (for example, a microphone) for manually inputting instructions from the user. Reference numeral 18 denotes a speech recognition means, which includes a speech analysis means 19, a standard pattern registration means 20, a similarity calculation means 21, and an identification means 22. Reference numeral 23 denotes a transmission means, in which the voice recognition means 18 recognizes the instruction voice input by the user from the voice input means 17;
The recognized signal is transmitted to the control unit 15. Also, the operation means 16 from the voice input means 17 to the transmission means 23
The control panel on the wall of the bathroom or shower room or the shower 14
etc. will be installed.

Next, the voice recognition signal sent from the transmitting means 23 is received by the receiving means 24. Reference numeral 25 denotes hot water supply control means, which includes energizing amount setting means 26, hot water supply adjusting means 27, and flow rate control means 28. Based on the signal received by the receiving means 24, the energizing amount setting means 26 determines the energizing amount of the flow rate regulating means 28 to control the hot water supply or stop, or determines the energizing amount of the hot water supply regulating means 27. Receiving means 2 for adjusting hot water temperature
The control unit 15, which includes a hot water supply control means 25 and a hot water supply control means 25, is installed in a place 1 away from direct contact with water, such as on the back side of a bathroom wall.

Further, from the transmitting means 23 to the receiving means 24, radio waves, infrared waves,
Alternatively, the recognized signal is transmitted by means such as ultrasound.

Next, the operation of the configuration of the present invention will be explained. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart showing the operation. When the user enters a shower room or the like, he issues an instruction to the voice input means 17. For example, specify "shower". This is Pl in FIG. The voice is passed through the voice input means 17 to the voice recognition means 18
is input. The input audio signal is sent to audio analysis means 19
The signal is divided into specific frequencies via a filter. Next, the standard pattern is extracted from the standard pattern registration means 20 and compared with the divided input signal by the similarity calculation means 21. Then, the distance between the signal and the pattern signal is determined, and the accumulated sum or average value (ie, pattern dark path #) is determined. The identification means 22 detects the word to be recognized and outputs the recognized voice instruction signal. The transmitting means 23 transmits this voice instruction signal. This corresponds to P2 to P5 in FIG.

The signal transmitted from the transmitting means 23 is received by the receiving means 24 of the control section 15. When the signal is received by the receiving means 24, it is output to the hot water supply control means 25. The energizing amount setting means 26 determines and outputs the energizing amount of the flow rate adjusting means 12 based on the instruction signal, for example, if it is a signal to start tapping. The flow rate regulating means 12 opens to the flush 13 or shower 14 side and starts supplying hot water. If it is a hot water temperature adjustment signal, the energizing amount setting means 26 determines the optimum operation amount of the hot water supply means 11 for the hot water supply adjustment means 27 and outputs it to the hot water supply means 11 . The hot water supply means 11 adjusts the hot water temperature based on the signal. P6 in Figure 3
~ Corresponds to P8.

In other words, since the voice signal instructed by the user is first recognized and the signal resulting from that recognition is transmitted, the quality of the voice deteriorates due to noise etc. that is spread during transmission, compared to the case where the voice is recognized after being transmitted. Since the influence of this on recognition processing is extremely small, there are almost no malfunctions.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the shower apparatus of the present invention includes a voice input means for inputting a user's voice instruction, a voice recognition means for recognizing the input voice, a transmission means for transmitting a recognition signal, and It consists of a receiving means that receives a signal from a transmitting means, and since it first recognizes the voice signal instructed by the user and then transmits it, there is no deterioration in sound quality during transmission compared to the case where the voice is transmitted and then recognized. Since the system can be recognized well and an instruction signal can be transmitted, the possibility of malfunction is extremely small, and reliability is improved, resulting in improved usability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a hot water supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the same device, Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the same device, and Fig. 4 is a conventional hot water supply system. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the device. 17... Voice input means, 18... Voice recognition means, 23... Transmission means, 24...
- Receiving means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a voice input means for inputting a user's instruction voice; a voice recognition means for recognizing a voice signal input from the voice input means; a transmission means for transmitting the voice signal recognized by the voice recognition means; A water heater comprising: receiving means for receiving a transmitted recognition signal.