JPH06337630A - Portable type sign language input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a device which improves portability and easily useability and can be applied in a public place by separating an oscillator held by an auditory sense handicapped person and a portable computer held by a sound listener, and exchanging their information by a radio wave. CONSTITUTION:This device consists of input devices 1, 2 and a terminal 3 which an auditory sense handicapped person A possesses, and a portable computer 4 which a sound listener B possesses. In the input devices 1, 2, a position of a wrist or a finger is converted to an electric signal, and a signal is sent to the terminal 3 by a radio wave. In the terminal 3, these signals are further summarized and sent to the portable computer 4 by a radio wave. In the portable computer 4, these results are analyzed and a sentence is displayed. As for a function of the input devices 1, 2, an electro myograph input type and a space coordinate input type exist. For instance, in the case of the electro myograph input type, the input device 2 and the terminal 3 are used, a position of each finger is measured by an electro myograph of a wrist by using the input device 2, and to the terminal 3, a signal corresponding to a position of each finger, and a space coordinate and acceleration of the input device 2 in which the terminal 3 is an origin are inputted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sign language interpreter system, and more particularly to a portable sign language input device that can be used in any public place.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a sign language interpreter system, as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-235633 and Japanese Patent Application No. 4-51300, data is sent to a computer by means of a data globe, and meaning and interpretation are performed. Was being done. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a data glove is used to convert hand movements into numerical values, and recognition, understanding, and translation are performed inside the computer, and the results are displayed.

[0003]

However, in the above method, the data globe is connected to the computer by wire (optical fiber), and the input is extremely inconvenient. Computers are also typically 40 cm x 5 in size.
It was 0 cm x 60 cm, weighed about 20 Kg, and was not portable. For this reason, the place of use is limited, and public use, for example, use on a train is impossible. Further, in the data glove, it is impossible to identify the relative position between the finger and the body because only the origin other than the body, for example, the coordinates with respect to the fixed desk and the bending of the finger are input. Furthermore, the translation result was only one case, and there were many errors, and it was often necessary to redo the input.

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and provides a portable sign language input device applicable in public places.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention separates a transmitter held by a hearing-impaired person from a portable computer held by a hearing-impaired person and exchanges these information. It was done with radio waves. Moreover, in order to improve the accuracy of input required for translation, instead of inputting the bending state of the finger using a strain gauge or the like, the absolute position of each finger with respect to the origin is input using a position sensor or the like. Furthermore, a touch sensor is provided at the tip of each finger so that the relative position between the finger and the body can be identified. In addition, the portable computer is equipped with a self-remembering function so that multiple example sentences can be displayed.

[0006]

By separating the transmitter from the portable computer, portability is increased and public use becomes possible. Further, by combining the position input method and the touch sensor method, the relative positional relationship of the finger with respect to a part of the body, for example, the face can be distinguished. Furthermore, by displaying a plurality of example sentences, the hearing impaired person can select the example sentence intended by him / her, and the error rate can be greatly reduced.

[0007]

The details of the present invention will be described with reference to the following examples. FIG. 1 is a portable sign language input device. This device is composed of input devices 1 and 2 and a terminal 3 carried by a hearing impaired person A, and a portable computer 4 carried by a hearing-impaired person B.
In the input devices 1 and 2, the position of the wrist or the finger is converted into an electric signal, and the electric signal is transmitted to the terminal 3 by transmitting the electric signal. The terminal 3 further collects these signals, transmits them on radio waves, and sends them to the portable computer 4. The portable computer 4 analyzes these results and displays a sentence.

The functions of the input devices 1 and 2 include a myoelectric input type and a spatial coordinate input type. In the case of the myoelectric input type, the input device 2 and the terminal 3 are used. In this case, the position of each finger is measured by myoelectricity of the wrist using the input device 2. Further, the input device 2 has a position sensor (for example, a magnetic sensor) and an acceleration sensor built therein. That is, the terminal 3 has a signal corresponding to the position of each finger and the spatial coordinates of the input device 2 with the terminal 3 as the origin.
(x, y, z) and acceleration (dx / dt.dy / dt.dz / dt) are input. On the other hand, in the case of the spatial coordinate input type, the input devices 1 and 2 and the terminal 3 are used. In this case, the position sensor is built in all of the input device 1, the input device 2, and the terminal 3, and the spatial coordinates (x, y, z) of each finger are input to the terminal 3. In this case, at the start of sign language, it is preferable that all the fingertips are once applied to the terminal 3 to adjust the origin and then the sign language operation is performed. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the accuracy of position input to the portable computer 4 can be improved by disposing the input devices 1 and 2 at positions of joints, for example, elbows.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which the terminal 3 is of a hearing aid type. In this case, since the position of the hearing aid 5 is the origin,
As shown in (a) and (b) of the figure, it is possible to distinguish whether the index finger points to the nose or the ear. That is, in the figure (a), the position of the oscillator 6 is, for example, (15, 40, 6).
On the other hand, it is (0,0,0) in FIG.
It is possible to distinguish between (a) and (b).

FIG. 4 shows an example in which the input device of FIG. 1 is composed of a hat type transmitter. In this case, since the transmitter 7 has a built-in position sensor or tilt sensor, it is possible to distinguish whether the head is vertical (a) or tilted (b).

FIG. 5 shows a myoelectric input device. (a) is a bracelet type device 8 and (b) is a watch type device 9.
Since the contraction and tension of muscles are caused by the excitatory activity of the motor nervous system that controls the muscles, the position of the finger or wrist can be detected by recording the action potential of the muscles. That is, if the muscle is not excited,
As shown in (c), a pulse with constant amplitude is observed,
When the muscles are excited by bending a finger or the like, the pulse frequency increases as shown in (d). Therefore, by measuring the frequency of the pulse, the position of each finger corresponding to the sign language can be obtained. There are a surface electrode type and a concentric needle electrode type as a method for measuring the action potential.
8 or the timepiece type device 9, the surface electrode type built in the inside was used. Of course, it is also possible to use a concentric needle electrode type.

FIG. 6 shows a spatial coordinate input type device. Same figure
(a) shows the arrangement of the transmitters 10, 11 and 12. The transmitter 10 may be the bracelet type device 8 or the clock type device 9 shown in FIG. Further, as the oscillators 11 and 12, for example, a chip as shown in FIG. 6B or a microcomputer can be applied. A position sensor, an acceleration sensor, a touch sensor, and the like are incorporated in this chip, and data is transferred to the transmitter 10 by using the transmission function. By using the latest semiconductor technology, such as 0.25 micron technology, it is possible to store about 16 megabits of information in a 5mm x 5mm.

FIG. 7 shows the touch sensor type oscillators 13, 14 and 15. By incorporating a touch sensor into the transmitters 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 6, for example, whether or not the nose is touched (a)
It is possible to determine (b) and also (c) and (d) whether or not a finger is touched. Furthermore, by incorporating a conductivity sensor, it is possible to measure the electrical resistance of the contact area. For example, whether a finger touches a part of the body (low resistance) or clothes (high resistance). You can judge.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the flow of an interpreting procedure using this apparatus. Assumes a conversation at a bookstore. First, when the hearing impaired person performs the sign language operation 1, the translation result is displayed on the portable computer of the normally hearing person (in this case, the store clerk).
Since this portable computer has a built-in learning function, a self-remembering function using a neural network, and the like, it is possible to display a plurality of example sentences with few errors. Next, the clerk can look at the display and select yes or no. Further, since alphanumeric characters can be input from the keyboard, it is possible to display, for example, 560 yen. The size of the portable computer is 30cm x 10c.
Since it is less than mx 5 cm and weighs less than 2 kg, it is always portable for the hearing impaired.

[0015]

By using this device, sign language conversation can be carried out in any public place without using a large computer. Moreover, since the position information of each finger is input, it is possible to convert sign language to text with extremely high accuracy. Furthermore, since each finger has a touch sensor, it is possible to separately display the relative relationship between the finger and the face or the finger and the finger, which has been impossible in the past.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a portable sign language input device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a conventional sign language interpreter system.

FIG. 3 shows a hearing aid type terminal.

FIG. 4 shows a hat-type transmitter.

FIG. 5 shows a myoelectric input device.

FIG. 6 shows a spatial coordinate input type device.

FIG. 7 shows a touch sensor type transmitter.

FIG. 8 shows a flow of an interpreting procedure of this device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ----- input device, 2 ----- input device, 3 ----- terminal, 4 -----
Handheld computer, 5 ----- hearing aid type terminal, 6 ----- transmitter, 7 ----- hat type transmitter, 8 ----- bracelet type device,
9 ----- Clock-type device, 10 ----- transmitter, 11 ----- transmitter, 12
----- transmitter, 13 ----- touch sensor type transmitter, 14 -----
Touch sensor type transmitter, 15 ----- Touch sensor type transmitter.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kiyoshi Inoue 1-280 Higashi Koikeku, Kokubunji, Tokyo Inside Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd. (72) Hirohiko Sagawa 1-280 Higashi Koikeku, Kokubunji, Tokyo Hitachi Ltd. Central Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Asako Sakiyama 1-280, Higashi Koikekubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo Hitachi Central Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Yu Oki 1-280, Higashi Koikeku Ku, Kokubunji, Tokyo Hitachi Central Research Center ( 72) Inventor Yuji Toda 1-280, Higashi Koigokubo, Kokubunji City, Tokyo Inside the Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd.

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A portable sign language input device comprising a plurality of transmitters carried by a hearing-impaired person and a plurality of portable computers used by a hearing-impaired person. 2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter detects a position of a wrist or a finger and converts the position into an electric signal.
A sensor that detects acceleration, a sensor that detects magnetism,
A portable sign language input device comprising a circuit for converting the electric signal into a radio wave to transmit or receive. 3. The portable sign language input device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes an input device worn on a wrist or a finger and a terminal worn on a part of the body. 4. The portable sign language input device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal is a hearing aid type terminal. 5. The input device according to claim 3, wherein the input device is
A portable sign language input device comprising a myoelectric input device or a spatial coordinate input device. 6. The portable sign language input device according to claim 5, wherein the myoelectric input device is a bracelet type or a watch type. 7. The portable sign language input device according to claim 5, wherein the spatial coordinate input type device comprises a ring type or a finger sack type. 8. The portable sign language input device according to claim 7, wherein the spatial coordinate input device has a built-in touch sensor. 9. The portable sign language input device according to claim 1, wherein the portable computer comprises a device for transmitting or receiving a signal and a device for displaying a translation result. 10. The portable sign language input device according to claim 9, wherein the device for displaying the translation result displays a plurality of example sentences using a self-remembering function. 11. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the size of the portable computer is 30 cm x 10 cm x 5 cm or less,
The portable sign language input device is characterized in that it weighs less than 2 kg.