JPH0918997A - Voice processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To recognize the battery replacement time by voice by providing a voltage monitor means monitoring a battery voltage and a voice reproduction means reproducing voice message data informing a voltage drop in a voice. CONSTITUTION: A voltage monitor means 4 is prepared inside a microcomputer 40 and receives a digitized battery voltage. The voltage monitor means 45 monitors the change in the battery voltage and when the change is matching a preset condition, a voice reproduction means 44 is driven. The voice reproduction means 44 reproduces voice message data 72 prepared in an external memory 70. The reproduced voice message data 72 are added digitally to a usual voice processing output and given to a D/A converter 43 and outputted as a voice signal. Thus, the user can recognize the battery replacement time by having only to listen to a voice outputted from the processing unit as usual.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice processing device such as a hearing aid, and more particularly to a function of notifying a user of a battery replacement time by voice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a means for assisting the hearing of a hearing-impaired person, an analog hearing aid that processes the amplitude and frequency characteristics of voice by using an analog circuit has been mainly used. On the other hand, in recent years, research and development for applying digital signal processing to compensation of hearing impairment have been actively conducted. Regarding this research and development trend, for example, the Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan (1991).
Vol. 47, No. 10, p. 760 to p. 765) "Application of digital technology to compensation for hearing impairment" and "Speech-perception aid
s for hearing-impaired people: Current status and
needed reserach ", J.of Acoust. Soc. America, Vo
l.90, No.2, Pt.1, Aug. 1991., etc.

Generally, in order to compensate for the loss of hearing, the sound pressure level is amplified and the dynamic range is compressed for each frequency according to the hearing characteristics of the user. In a conventional analog hearing aid, such processing is realized by an analog circuit. In addition, in digital hearing aids that have been developed in recent years,
By implementing this processing with software such as a digital filter, the user's hearing characteristics can be adapted in more detail.

In response to such a trend, in recent years, only the speed is changed by digital signal processing without changing the pitch of the voice, and hearing is conducted over the entire auditory system including a decline in higher-order language processing speed. Attempts have been made to sneak. Such a speech speed conversion technique is described in detail, for example, in a collection of proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Japan (March 1994, 2-4-7) "Evaluation of speech speed converted speech by a deaf person".

FIG. 4 shows the basic configuration of the conventional digital hearing aid. In this configuration, a microprocessor 40 for digitally processing voice is prepared, and the input voice signal is digitized by the A / D converter 41 and realized by a program executed on the microprocessor 40. Various audio signal processing 42 is performed. The processed digital audio data is converted into an analog signal through the D / A converter 43, output as an audio signal, and given to the user's hearing through the headphones 200. Further, generally, an external memory 70 is provided outside the microprocessor 40 in order to supplement the memory capacity inside the microprocessor, and is used as a buffer or the like required for the digital signal processing. And all these components are driven by the battery 80 as a power source.

[0006]

The above-mentioned conventional hearing aids have been devised to reduce the power consumption of the device so that they can be used as long as possible without battery replacement. However, the battery is always consumed, and the user has to replace or charge the battery.

In reality, a method is adopted in which, when the output is not obtained during use of the device, it is determined that the battery is dead and the battery is replaced or charged. However, this may cause the device to suddenly become unusable, and the user has to worry that the battery is always dead. If it is possible to notify the user of the battery replacement time in advance by some method, it is possible to prepare a spare battery or the like before voice output is lost, which is convenient.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional hearing aid, since priority is given to reducing power consumption, no consideration has been given to measures for presenting remaining battery level information, which consumes extra power.

On the other hand, in a general electric product, as a method of displaying the remaining amount of the battery, a method of providing a visual display by providing an indicator on the device for changing the display state according to the voltage of the battery Is used. As an example of this simplest method, there is a method in which the light emitting diode is continuously lit when the battery voltage is sufficiently high and is not lit when the voltage drops to some extent.

In the case of hearing aids, however, in most cases, after the power switch is turned on, the device body is usually put in a pocket and used around the ear. Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional visual method, there is a problem that the user often overlooks the change in the display, which is actually useless.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With respect to the above-mentioned conventional voice processing device such as a hearing aid, the above-mentioned problems are provided with voltage monitoring means for monitoring the battery voltage, and voice message data having language information for notifying the voltage drop. The problem is solved by providing a voice reproducing means for reproducing the voice message data as voice.

[0012]

The voltage monitoring means monitors the voltage of the battery. Then, when the voltage of the battery comes to meet the preset condition, the voice reproducing means is driven to operate so that the voice message data is output in an overlapped manner with the normal voice output.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the audio signal input through the microphone 10 is passed to the microprocessor 40 through the analog amplifier 20 and the low pass filter 30. On the microprocessor, the input voice is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 41, and a program for performing various voice processing is executed. In FIG. 1, this is expressed as the audio signal processing means 42. On the other hand, in the present invention,
The voltage of the battery 80 is an A / D for inputting audio signals
It is converted into a digital value by a second A / D converter 46 which is different from the converter 41. In the figure, the battery 80
Is connected only to the microprocessor 40, but actually supplies power to all circuits other than the microprocessor 40. Inside the microprocessor 40,
A voltage monitoring means 45, which is realized by a program, is provided to receive the digitized battery voltage value. The voltage monitoring means 45 monitors the change of the battery voltage, and drives the sound reproducing means 44 when the change matches the preset condition. The voice reproduction means 44 reproduces the voice message data 72 prepared on the external memory 70. The reproduced voice message data is digitally added to the normal voice processing output.
It is passed to the D / A converter 43 and output as an audio signal. The voice message data 72 includes language information that informs the user that it is time to replace the battery due to low battery voltage. As a result, the user can know the time to replace the battery of the device only by listening to the sound output from the device as usual.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is an example in which the technique of the first embodiment is applied to an analog hearing aid. That is, the sound input from the microphone 10 is output through the analog hearing aid circuit 90. On the other hand, the microprocessor 40 is provided with an A / D converter 46 for digitizing the battery voltage value, a voltage monitoring means 45 for monitoring the battery voltage, and a voice reproducing means 44 for reproducing the voice message. Although the battery 80 is connected only to the microprocessor 40 in the figure, it actually supplies power to all circuits other than the microprocessor 40. The voltage monitoring means
45 is the sound reproducing means 44 when the change in the battery voltage matches a predetermined condition.
Drive. The voice reproduction means 44 is a memory beforehand.
The voice message data 72 prepared in 70 is reproduced. The D / A converter 43 converts the reproduced voice message into an analog signal. The analog voice message is analogically added to the normal output voice signal and output through the amplifier 60. The voice message includes language information to inform the user that the battery voltage is low and it is time to replace the battery. As a result, the user can know the time to replace the battery of the device only by listening to the sound output from the device as usual.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is an example in which the technique of the first embodiment is applied to a portable radio. That is, the broadcast signal input through the antenna 110 is converted into an audio signal by the radio reception circuit 100 and output. Meanwhile, microprocessor 40
Includes an A / D converter 46 that digitizes the battery voltage.
A voltage monitoring means 45 for monitoring the battery voltage and a voice reproducing means 44 for reproducing a voice message. Although the battery 80 is connected only to the microprocessor 40 in the figure, it actually supplies power to all circuits other than the microprocessor 40. The voltage monitoring means 45 drives the audio reproducing means 44 when the state of change in the battery voltage matches a predetermined condition. The voice reproduction means 44 reproduces the voice message data 72 prepared in the memory 70 in advance. The D / A converter 43 converts the reproduced voice message into an analog signal. The analog voice message is analogically added to the normal output voice signal and output through the amplifier 60. The voice message includes language information to inform the user that the battery voltage is low and it is time to replace the battery. As a result, the user can know the time to replace the battery of the device only by listening to the voice output from the device as usual.

In the above description, the voltage monitoring means and the audio reproducing means are realized by the program on the microprocessor and the battery voltage value is also taken in as a digital value, but it is dedicated to execute each function. Even if these functions are realized by a digital circuit, the same effect can be obtained.

Further, in the above description, it is stated that the voice message data exists in the external memory 70 of the processor. However, when the processor has an internal memory having a sufficient capacity, the voice message data is stored inside the processor. Even if it is held, the same effect can be obtained.

[0019]

According to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to know the battery replacement time by voice without looking at the device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a basic configuration diagram of a conventional digital hearing aid.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Microphone, 20,60 ... Amplifier, 30,50 ... Low pass filter, 40 ... Microprocessor, 41 ... A / D converter, 4
2 ... Audio signal processing means, 43 ... D / A converter, 44 ... Audio reproducing means, 45 ... Voltage monitoring means, 46 ... Second A / D converter, 70 ... Memory means, 71 ... Buffer, 72 ... Audio Message data,
80 ... Battery, 90 ... Analog hearing aid circuit, 100 ... Radio receiving circuit, 110 ... Antenna, 200 ... Headphones.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A voice processing device which uses a battery as a power source, processes input voice by signal processing, and outputs the voice as voice, means for monitoring changes in the voltage of the battery, and memory means for storing voice message data. And, having a voice reproducing means for reproducing the voice message data as a voice, and the state of change of the battery voltage matches a predetermined condition,
A voice processing device, characterized in that when the voice message is played back by the voice playback means, a battery replacement time is notified by voice. 2. The signal processing for processing the input voice, the voltage monitoring means, and the voice reproducing means are realized by a program executed on a microprocessor. Voice processor. 3. The signal processing for processing the input sound is analog signal processing executed by an analog circuit, and the voltage monitoring means and the sound reproducing means are realized by a program executed on a microprocessor. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the audio processing device is performed. 4. The signal processing for processing the voice is a voice signal processing for a hearing aid, which processes a frequency characteristic of a voice and a signal level of a voice for the purpose of assisting hearing. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein 5. The voice according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing for processing the voice is a voice speed conversion process for changing only the speed without changing the pitch of the voice. Processing equipment. 6. A voice processing device which uses a battery as a power source, and demodulates a voice signal from a broadcast radio signal to output voice, and means for monitoring a change in the voltage of the battery, and a memory storing voice message data. Means and a voice reproducing means for reproducing the voice message data as a voice, and when the state of change of the battery voltage matches a predetermined condition, the voice reproducing means reproduces the voice message. A voice processing device characterized in that the battery replacement time is notified by voice by playing back. 7. The voice processing device according to claim 6, wherein the voltage monitoring means and the voice reproducing means are realized by a program executed on a microprocessor. 8. The battery voltage is converted into a digital signal by an A / D converter and input to a voltage monitoring means realized by a program on the microprocessor. The voice processing device according to any one of 1.