JPS58180150A - Tactile perception vocoder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tactile vocoder. More specifically, it relates to a tactile vocoder that uses tactile information to assist in the deciphering of voices that would be too audible to the senses alone by applying an image of an object such as zero-thickness movement that accompanies vocalization as a stimulus to the skin surface of a living body. .

Conventionally, it has been known that giving visual information at the same time as audio information when interacting with a hearing-impaired person has the effect of helping the recognition of sounds with a large degree of abnormal hearing. It is.

Recognizing the importance of such visual information, the present inventors filed a patent application on April 16, 1980, and proposed the "Nitten Photography Apparatus," which will be described later. One possible way to provide lip information using this device is to display it on a small television during a school class, for example. However, there are some cases where students are unable to take notes when they are watching images of information displayed on a small TV during class using this method.

Therefore, the present inventors considered using a tactile vocoder to solve such problems. Such a tactile vocoder is configured to process the audio signal received by a hearing aid and transmit it to a tactile plate, and the tactile plate 2 includes 1 g of transducers made of piezoelectric elements.
It is known that the fingers are arranged in columns every mm and three rows every 3I, and are configured so that they can be touched in front of the pads of the fingers above the first joint of the fingertips. For example, if you place your index finger on this tactile plate and pronounce ``I J,''
Sharp vibrations are transmitted to different parts of the body, and the sound can be understood. However, this vocoder has the disadvantage that it cannot be used at all unless the relationship between the position of the strongly vibrating component, that is, the formant, and the sound is memorized through training. Different relationships, etc.
Since there are no standards, training as described above has the disadvantage that it is of no use for anything other than the proposed species.

The present invention has been made to solve these drawbacks.
To provide a tactile vocoder which does not require difficult training as in conventional tactile vocoders, and can assist the user in recognizing λH of a voice that is highly audible by hearing alone, with only 11 simple exercises. With the goal. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the specification.

The present invention will be described below based on illustrated embodiments.

The figure is a usage state diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an operation unit for inputting a video signal sent by wire or wirelessly from a video processing unit 3 provided in a device 2 for photographing lips, etc., and sending a predetermined stimulation signal to a tactile vocoder 4. be. The device 2 for photographing lips, etc., which provides video information to the tactile vocoder according to the present invention, is configured as follows. That is, 5 is a head assembly, for example, a semicircular leaf spring is used, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as it is worn on a person's head, and a helmet or the like may also be used. Reference numeral 6 denotes an arm movably attached to the head assembly 5 via an adjustment member 7. The arm 6 is extended to the vicinity of the face, and a photographic lens 9 housed in the body 8 is attached to its tip. The photographing lens 9 transmits an appropriate image 9 to the image transmitting element 10.
Or it consists of two or more lens systems. The position of the photographic lens 9 is configured such that it can be moved freely to meet various demands, such as when photographing the mouth or the expression of the entire face. Is this device 'ti2 a U-shaped adjustment? A member 7 is rotatably fixed to the head assembly 5, and an arm 6 is attached to the member 7. Therefore, when the member 7 is rotated, the arm 6 is rotated and the position of the photographing lens 9 can be moved.

Also, by adjusting the arm 6 in the longitudinal direction,
It is also possible to adjust the distance between the photographic lens 9 and the mouth. To adjust the position of the photographic lens 9, the method is not limited to the means of the present device 2; for example, the arm 6 itself may be provided with a readable member and the arm 6 may be fixed to the head assembly 5. In the present device 2, the transmission element 10 uses a focusing optical glass fiber and is fixed to the arm 6,
It has a function of sending the image sent from the photographing lens 9 to the image processing section 3. When using the focusing optical glass fiber, the fiber is formed so that both ends thereof have the same cross-sectional shape. The video processing section 3 has a function of processing input video and outputting it as an electromagnetic signal, and is fixed by a mounting member 11 provided on the head assembly 5.

However, the video processing section 3 does not necessarily include the head assembly 5.
It does not need to be fixed to the camera, and can be placed in a pocket of clothing. Note that in this device 2, the photographing lens 9
Additional devices such as an image focus adjustment device, an exposure adjustment device, and a reflector may be added near the camera. Photographing device 2 for lips, etc.
So, what is the purpose of the above configuration?

The stimulation site of the tactile vocoder 4 used in the present invention is the palm of the hand, the fingertips, etc., but when it is attached to the palm as shown in the figure, the skin surface of the palm is stimulated by the signal sent from the operating section 1. The device is configured to apply vibrational stimulation to the stimulated part of the body and make the stimulated part resemble the movement of the lips. The tactile vocoder 4 may express the shape of the lip σ) photographed by the photographing device 2 such as n′ [0#] as it is as a stimulation by vibration, or
The shape of the lips may be patterned and then expressed as stimulation by vibration. When patterning the shape of Kakaro's lips, a computer incorporating Tokoro's program may be used.

According to the present invention, there is no need for difficult training as with conventional tactile vocoders, and simple rrR training equivalent to lip reading (thereby assisting the recognition of voices that are more exciting than hearing alone). The song above can also be used for other purposes, such as providing confidential information.

The present invention may further include forming an image forming section on the upper surface side of the tactile vocoder for displaying information such as lips on an image based on a signal sent from the photographing device ρ2 to the tactile vocoder. In this case, while receiving tactile information with the palm of the hand, visual information can also be obtained with the -F of the palm, which is not only suitable for people with hearing loss, but also useful for various purposes such as providing confidential information. It can also be used for other purposes. Further, the image forming section may be provided separately. The image forming section may be formed using a television screen, a light emitting diode, a liquid crystal, etc. As described above, the use of an image forming section in addition to the tactile vocoder of the present invention is advantageous in that it combines visual information with tactile information. This allows hearing-impaired people to use speech recognition words.
It has the effect of allowing you to do the Isanato by yourself.

In the above, the tactile vocoder according to the present invention is operated based on the image of the shooting position, etc., but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be activated.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a usage state diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. patent applicant Hiroshi Nono agent Patent attorney Nobuaki Sakaguchi (7 people)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A tactile vocoder that uses a living body's skin surface as a stimulation site, the tactile vocoder being characterized in that an image of an object such as the movement of a thick mouth accompanying vocalization is given to the stimulation site. (A tactile vocoder characterized in that the tactile vocoder provides an image of something like the movement of humiliation associated with utterance to an erotic region, and has an image forming section that provides visual information.