JPH06119381A - Method and device for retrieving hierarchical data base - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently execute the information retrieval of a voice data base by executing the movement of a retrieved record by using a signal from a telephone set for the movement to the top, the bottom, the right and the left of a hierarchy on the data base. CONSTITUTION:The signal from the telephone set 107 is discriminated by an input discriminating part 102, and the retrieved record of the hierarchical data base 101 is moved by a retrieving point instructing part 103. For instance, the retrieved record is moved to the succeeding records of an upper layer, a lower layer and the same layer and the preceding record of the same layer by the keys '2', '8', '6', '4' respectively. A data reading-out part 104 reads the title item of the retrieved record out of the data base 101, and converts it into a voice by a voice converting part 105, and reports it to the telephone set 107 through a line interface part 106. Besides, the simple and sure retrieval of the voice data base using the telephone set can be executed by reading the item of contents out of the data base 101 and reporting it to the telephone set 107 when the input of a '#'-key is discriminated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hierarchical database search method and apparatus, and more particularly to a database search system using voice response.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a voice database search, when a conventional telephone is used for searching, a method of inputting a number using a ten-key pad is used in accordance with a voice-based menu guidance sent from a search system. When the searcher inputs one of the numbers assigned to the child records of the hierarchical database, it is transmitted as a PB sound to the search system, and the child record corresponding to the number is accessed.
By repeating the procedure of inputting a number again using the numeric keypad in accordance with the voice-guided menu guidance of the record, the data record at the end is reached, the data is read from there, and the voice is notified. If you accidentally descend to the lower layer, you cannot move directly to a different record of the parent record even though it is in the same layer, and once you return to the common parent record of the upper layer, enter the number again according to the menu guidance. Will move to the record of the target layer.

[0003]

In the case of the conventional search system, the larger the number of child records in the database, the larger the number of selection numbers. Therefore, the notification time by the menu guidance becomes longer and the target number is heard. Becomes difficult. In addition, this often results in moving to the wrong record, and in that case, there is a problem that it is necessary to return to the upper layer again and listen to the menu guidance again.

In view of the above problems, the present invention confirms the title of each record by voice response, so that the position of the record currently being retrieved can be easily confirmed and the retrieved record can be confirmed by the title. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hierarchical database search method and its apparatus that can surely prevent erroneous reading by reading the contents of the record after performing.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a hierarchical database in which records composed of title items and content items are arranged in a tree-structured order. An input value identification unit for identifying an input signal, and when the identification signal by the input value identification unit is recognized as a predetermined signal for moving to a layer above the database, moves the search record to an upper layer. , When it is recognized that the signal is a predetermined signal for moving to a lower layer, the search record is moved to a lower layer and is recognized as a predetermined signal for moving to a next search record in the same layer. When it is recognized as a predetermined signal for moving the search record to the next search record in the same layer and to the previous search record in the same layer Is a search point instruction unit for moving a search record to the previous search record in the same layer, and when the input signal is recognized by the input value identification unit as a signal predetermined as a read request signal of the contents of the record. Data read from the database to read the content item from the search record indicated by the search point instruction unit, and in the case of other signals, read out the title item from the search record indicated to the search point instruction unit from the database And a voice conversion unit for converting the information read by the data reading unit into a voice, which constitutes a database search device.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the input value identifying unit identifies the input value input by the searcher, and the search point designating unit moves the search record to one of the upper, lower, left and right of the hierarchy according to the value. At that time, the data reading unit reads the title item of the record, and the voice converting unit converts it into voice and transmits it to the searcher, so that the searcher can know the current position of the search record. Also,
The searcher moves the search record up, down, left, and right of the hierarchy by further entering the numeric keypad until he or she can confirm the desired title item, and when the desired title item is confirmed, he presses a predetermined key as a read request signal for the contents of the record. , The input value identification unit identifies and notifies the data reading unit, the data reading unit reads the content item from the search record, and the voice conversion unit converts the content item into voice. It is possible to listen to the content items of only the record that you want to know by voice.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a telephone number search system by a person's name using a hierarchical database search system in one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 100 is a database search device, which is connected to a telephone line. Reference numeral 101 denotes a hierarchical database, which is composed of a tree-structured database, and each record has personal name information as a title item and telephone number information as a content item. 10
Reference numeral 2 is an input value identifying section for identifying an input signal.
A search point designating unit 103 indicates a moving point of the search record as indicated by the input value identifying unit 102. Reference numeral 104 denotes a data reading unit, which is a search point designating unit 105.
Item information is read from the hierarchical database 101 by the identification value from the input value identification unit 102 from the search record indicated by. A voice conversion unit 105 converts the information read by the data reading unit 104 into voice. A line interface unit 106 transmits / receives signals to / from the telephone set 107 via a telephone line. Further, the search point instruction unit 103 moves the search record to the record one level above when the input value from the telephone set 107 is identified as “2”, and moves the search record one when it is identified as “8”. Move to the next lower record, move the search record to the next record in the same layer if identified as '6', move the search record to the previous record in the same layer if identified as '4'. To be done in advance.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hierarchical structure of a hierarchical database for searching a telephone number by a personal name used in an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the upper layer is the upper layer, which is a tree-structured database in which the title items of each branch are arranged in alphabetical order from the left in order to classify the person's name in the Japanese syllabary, and each record at the end of the branch The content item of contains the telephone number corresponding to the person's name. The content item of each record in the middle hierarchy may be empty.

The operation of the personal name telephone number search system of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

It is assumed that the searcher searches for "Sato"'s telephone number. When a searcher accesses the database search device 100 from the telephone 107, the search point designating unit 103 first shows the uppermost hierarchy as a search record. Since the title item of the record in the highest layer is “Search for telephone number by person's name”, the data reading unit 104 reads this, the voice converting unit 105 converts it into voice, and the voice is transmitted as voice through the line interface unit 106 to the telephone of the searcher. 10
Notify 7. When the searcher presses the '8' key on the telephone 107, the database search device moves the search record to the topmost record in the next lower layer, and the title of this record is "A 'column" as a voice. Phone 1
Notify 07. Since the first character of the person's name to be searched is'sa ', the' 6 'key of the telephone 107 is pressed to move to the record in the'row of'sa'. If you press the '6' key once, the search record moves to the next record in the same layer, so you have moved to the "'or'column". Repeatedly pressing the '6' key will bring up the search record as a “row of'sa '”
Move on. The searcher confirms by voice that the search record has moved to the "'sa'column", and then moves the search record to the lower hierarchy by the '8' key. At this time, the search record is located at the top "sa" position in the hierarchy, and this is notified to the searcher as voice. When the '6' key is pressed again, the search record moves to the position of "shi" which is the next record in the same layer. At this time, the '4' key is pressed to return the search record to the position of "sa" which is the previous record in the same layer. Furthermore, the '8' key is used to move the search record to the lower hierarchy. At this time, the search record is located at the top "" saito "" in the hierarchy, and this is notified to the searcher as a voice. The rest is "6" on the telephone 107
By pressing the key and searching the same layer in order, "" Sato ""
You can get to the record. ""Sugar""
When I confirmed by voice that I moved to the record of,
By pressing the '#' key, the contents of this record, that is, "Sato"'s phone number "06-123-4567"
Is read from the database and notified by voice. Also, if you want to know the phone number of "Shimizu", you can enter the key "6" several times to enter the same level even if you do not go up to the record of "Shi" in the upper layer. You can move to the "Shimizu" record.

With the above operation, in the telephone number search system by personal name using the hierarchical database search system of this embodiment, it is easy to confirm the record position currently being searched by listening to the voice response of the initials of the personal name. It is possible to reach the desired search record. Furthermore, in a telephone number search system via a telephone line, it is possible to retrieve a telephone number from any telephone.

In this embodiment, the database of personal names is arranged in the order of Japanese syllabary, but it is obvious that the same can be applied to the structure in which the names are arranged in alphabetical order.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a hierarchical database in which each record composed of a title item and a content item is arranged in a tree structure is arranged, and an input signal is stored. An input value identification section for identifying,
When the input value identification unit recognizes that the input signal is a predetermined signal for moving to the upper layer of the database, the search record is moved to the upper layer and the predetermined value for moving to the lower layer. When it is recognized that the signal is a predetermined signal for moving the search record to the lower layer, and when it is recognized as a predetermined signal for moving to the next search record in the same layer, the search record is moved to the next layer in the same layer. A search point instruction unit for moving the search record to the previous search record in the same layer when it is recognized as a predetermined signal for moving to the search record and moving to the previous search record in the same layer; When the input value identifying unit recognizes that the input signal is a signal predetermined as a read request signal of the contents of the record, the input signal is detected from the database. A data reading unit that reads the content item from the search record indicated by the search point instruction unit, and reads the title item from the search record indicated by the search point instruction unit from the database in the case of other signals, and the data reading unit. By configuring a database search device characterized by comprising a voice conversion unit for converting the information read by the unit into voice, the key input signal from the searcher is identified by the input value identification unit, and its value The search point indicator moves the search record to one of the upper, lower, left and right of the hierarchy, and at the time of movement, the data reading unit reads the title item of the record
The voice converting unit converts this into voice and transmits it to the searcher, so that the searcher can know the current position of the search record.

Further, the searcher further moves the search record up, down, left, and right in the hierarchy by key input until the desired title item is confirmed, and when the desired title item is confirmed, it is predetermined as a read request signal of the contents of the record. When the key is pressed, the input value identification unit identifies this and the data reading unit is notified, so that the data reading unit reads the content item from the search record, and the voice conversion unit converts it into voice for retrieval. Since the searcher can hear the content item of only the record whose contents he / she wants to know, the searcher can easily and surely read the information of the target search record. Is to have.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a telephone number search system by a person's name using a hierarchical database search device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a hierarchical structure diagram of a hierarchical database for searching a telephone number by a person's name according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 Hierarchical Database Retrieval Device 101 Hierarchical Database 102 Line Interface Unit 103 Input Value Identification Unit 104 Search Point Instruction Unit 105 Data Readout Unit 106 Voice Conversion Unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An input value identifying step of identifying an input signal when searching a hierarchical database in which records composed of a title item and a content item are arranged by being ordered according to a tree structure, When the input value identification step recognizes that the input signal is a predetermined signal for moving to the upper layer of the database, the search record is moved to the upper layer, and the predetermined value for moving to the lower layer. When it is recognized that it is a signal that has been moved, move the search record to the lower layer,
When it is recognized that the signal is a predetermined signal for moving to the next record in the same layer, the search record is moved to the next record in the same layer, and is set in advance to move to the previous record in the same layer. When it is recognized that the signal is a signal, a search point instruction step of moving the search record to the previous record in the same layer, and the input signal by the input value identification step is predetermined as a read request signal of the contents of the record. When it is recognized as a signal, the content item is read from the search record indicated by the search point instruction step from the database, and in the case of other signals, the search indicated by the search point instruction step is performed from the database. A data read step of reading the title item from the record; Hierarchical database search method characterized by performing a voice conversion step of converting the information read by the flop to the voice. 2. A hierarchical database in which records composed of title items and content items are arranged by arranging in order according to a tree structure, an input value identifying unit for identifying an input signal, and the input value identifying unit. When the input signal is recognized as a predetermined signal for moving to the upper layer of the database by the above, the search record is moved to the upper layer and the predetermined signal for moving to the lower layer. When it is recognized that it is a predetermined signal for moving the search record to the lower layer and the next record of the same layer, the search record is moved to the next record of the same layer, When it is recognized that the signal is a predetermined signal for moving to the previous record in the same layer, a search point instruction unit that moves the search record to the previous record in the same layer When the input signal is recognized by the input value identification unit as a signal predetermined as a read request signal for the content of the record, the content item is selected from the search record indicated by the search point instruction unit from the database. In the case of signals other than that, a data reading unit that reads title items from the search record indicated by the search point designating unit in the database, and a voice that converts the information read by the data reading unit into voice A hierarchical database search device comprising: a conversion unit. 3. The hierarchical database searching device according to claim 2, further comprising a line interface unit for receiving an input signal from the telephone through the telephone line and transmitting the voice generated by the voice converting unit to the telephone. .