KR20010008169A - Voice output device of elevator for the blind - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An elevator sound generator is provided to enable a visually handicapped person to correctly select a floor by generating a sound about the selected floor. CONSTITUTION: An elevator sound generator for a visually handicapped person consists of a brailled button input unit(101), a controlling unit(102), a sound processor(103), a sound data memory unit(104), an amplifying unit(105) and a speaker(106). When a visually handicapped person pushes a brailled button(101a), a switch senses which button is pushed. The sound processor generates a sound signal by the switch and the sound signal is amplified in the amplifying unit and output through the speaker. Each amplifying unit is embedded into the corresponding button.

Description

Voice output device of elevator for the blind}

The present invention relates to an elevator audio output device for the visually impaired. More specifically, when the visually impaired person presses the floor selection button of the elevator, the user visually outputs information on the selected floor by using the elevator. The present invention relates to an elevator speech output device for the visually impaired.

There is a need for social consideration for the blind. This concern starts with treating people with visual impairments on an equal footing with those who are normal, so that they do not interfere with activities in social facilities such as subways, high-rise apartments, or office buildings.

In particular, apartments or office buildings, which are mostly high-rise buildings with more than 10 floors, make it easy to use the elevator.The buttons on the surface of the elevator provide braille on the surface of the buttons so that the visually impaired can easily recognize the floor. I carve it and use it.

However, because the conventional braille display buttons are used together with a user who has normal vision, when the visually impaired person presses the button to check the braille, the floor selection button is pressed due to the pressure of the finger. Press often occurs. Therefore, the elevator will be stopped unnecessarily, thus preventing the operation of the elevator. In addition, the braille is broken due to the mischief of the children can not be in the control room.

In order to solve this problem, an elevator equipped with a dedicated button input unit for the visually impaired is operating. It is designed to make the floor selection by applying force after confirming the braille by depressing the pressure of the button with the braille stamped on the surface.

However, this button input unit also caused inconveniences because there is no means to correct this when the visually impaired people make an error in braille recognition. In other words, when the visually impaired person recognizes the braille on the surface of the floor selection button by using his / her finger, the visually impaired person may detect an error when the user recognizes the braille incorrectly and presses a button on a layer other than the layer he or she wants to go The inconvenience is that you have to wait for a long time and ask a user with normal vision. This situation is often caused by breakage of braille.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to visually select the floor when using the elevator by outputting information about the selected floor when the visually impaired by pressing the floor selection button of the elevator The present invention provides an elevator voice output device for the visually impaired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an elevator voice output device for the visually impaired, which can increase the convenience of use by providing information on the arrival floor by voice when the visually impaired person reaches the designated floor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an elevator voice output device for the visually impaired, which can be easily mounted on an elevator floor selection button by reducing the size and weight of the voice output device.

In order to achieve the above object, the voice output device for a visually impaired elevator includes an floor selection button on which a braille is embossed on a surface of the elevator. A braille button input unit, a controller for detecting a floor selection signal input from the braille button input unit, transmitting a floor selection signal to an elevator drive control unit, and outputting a control signal to output a voice signal for the selected floor; A voice processing processor for generating information on the selected layer as a voice signal according to an output control signal, a voice data memory unit for storing voice data necessary for generating a voice in the voice processing processor, and a voice processing processor An amplifier for amplifying the speech signal, and amplifying in the amplifier A speaker for outputting a signal as an audible sound.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the elevator voice output device for the blind according to the present invention, the switch (sw) for detecting the pressing state of the button, and when the switch (sw) is operated the information of the floor set in the button A voice processing processor for generating and outputting a voice signal, a voice data storage unit for storing voice data necessary for voice synthesis by the voice processing processor, and an amplifying unit for amplifying a voice signal output from the voice processing processor and outputting the voice signal to a speaker; It is integrally formed inside the button, and when a button corresponding to a specific floor is pressed, only the information of the corresponding floor is output as a voice.

1 is a front view of a conventional elevator installation state,

2 is a front view of one embodiment of an elevator operating panel of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the elevator audio output device for the visually impaired of the present invention,

4a and 4b is an embodiment of a button configuration,

5 is an operational state flow diagram of the elevator audio output device for the visually impaired of the present invention,

6 is another embodiment of the button configuration of the present invention,

7 is a block circuit diagram of the elevator audio output device for the blind of FIG.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

2: elevator 10: sound output device

12: control panel 14: control panel panel

20: (elevator) drive control unit 101: braille button input unit

102: control unit 103: voice processing processor

104: voice data memory section 105: amplification section

106: speaker 101a: button

101b: Braille 101c: spring

101d: wire 101e: sensor

106a: Speaker window 110: Speaker

111: amplifying unit 112: voice processing processor

113: Voice data memory section 201: (up / down) selection switch

sw: switch

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the voice output device for the visually impaired elevator of the present invention in detail as follows.

In a high-rise apartment or office building in which an elevator is installed, a lift selector switch 201 for calling an elevator is generally installed on an entrance side wall of the elevator 2. When the user presses the call switch 201 for lifting or lowering, the elevator arrives and the doorway of the elevator 2 is opened, and the user who boards the elevator presses a selection button of the floor to which he / she wants to go and inputs a command.

2 is an embodiment of a control panel 12 having a button 101a with a braille 101b on its surface. As shown, the braille 101b is formed by a dot-shaped projection next to the number indicating the layer. Braille 101b is a special coded character that enables the visually impaired person to read by flicking with his / her finger. Although four points are shown in the figure, this is an example of Braille. As a standard, Braille using six points is commonly used in various countries around the world. Apparently, it can be seen that the control panel 12 according to the present invention has a configuration similar to that used conventionally. The control panel 12 is provided on the inner wall of the elevator, and may be provided at the position of the elevating switch 201 shown in FIG.

The blind person checks the braille 101b on the surface of the button 101a installed on the control panel 12 with his finger after entering the elevator 2 and presses the corresponding button 101a when checking the floor to which he / she wants to go. When the button 101a is pressed, the floor selection signal is input to a control unit (not shown) of the voice output apparatus of the present invention, and the control unit checks the information on the selected floor and the voice signal so that the visually impaired person can check the selected floor. Is output through the speaker. The voice output through the speaker is output through the speaker window 106a so that it can be confirmed audibly.

In the drawing, the braille 101b has been described as being engraved on the surface of the button 101a. However, the buttons 101a in which the braille 101b is imprinted can be manufactured and installed separately from the buttons used by the general public. It is also possible to integrally configure the audio output device, which is described in another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a block circuit diagram of an embodiment of the elevator audio output device for the visually impaired of the present invention including the control panel 12.

As shown, the braille button input unit 101 includes a plurality of floor selection buttons in which the braille is imprinted, the floor selection signal input from the braille button input unit 101 is sensed, and the floor is selected by the elevator drive control unit 20. A control unit 102 for transmitting a signal and outputting a control signal to output a voice signal for the selected floor, and a voice for generating information on the selected floor as a voice signal according to the control signal output from the control unit 102. A processing unit (103), a voice data memory unit (104) for storing voice data necessary for generating a voice in the voice processing processor (103), and amplifying a voice signal generated by the voice processing processor (103). An amplifier 105, and a speaker 106 for outputting the signal amplified by the amplifier 105 in audible voice.

The braille button input unit 101 includes buttons inscribed with braille and is a block for generating a signal (electrical signal) generated by pressing the buttons. When the visually impaired person presses any one button 101a, the braille button input unit 101 generates and outputs different electric signals for the respective buttons 101a.

The controller 102 recognizes the floor selected by the visually impaired according to the electrical signal input from the braille button input unit 101. For example, if the button selected by the visually impaired is "7", the controller 102 recognizes that the selected floor is the seventh floor by using an input signal. After confirming the selected floor, the control unit 102 transmits a signal for the selected floor to the elevator drive control unit 20.

The elevator drive control unit 20 is a main control unit for performing overall motor control, elevator opening and closing control of the elevator, and the like so that the elevator can move to the floor selected by the user. Data transmission and reception with the drive control unit 20 may be performed using a data transmission method using serial and parallel ports.

The control unit 102 also outputs a control signal to output a voice signal in order to reliably recognize the floor selected by the visually impaired. That is, after confirming the floor selected by the visually impaired by using the electrical signal input from the braille button input unit 101, first, voice data is extracted from the voice data memory unit 104 to output the selected floor as a voice signal. In this case, since the selected floor is the seventh floor, voice data for the seventh floor is selected.

In addition, when the visually impaired person reaches the selected floor, the elevator receives the information on the arrival floor from the drive control unit 20 and outputs the arrival status to the user by voice.

The voice data selected by the control unit 102 is output to the voice processing processor 103. The speech processing processor 103 synthesizes the necessary speech using the speech data input from the speech data memory section 104. For example, the synthesized voice may be, for example, "the floor selected by the customer is the seventh floor." It is possible to synthesize the necessary contents by storing the contents of various situations that can occur when using the elevator as voice data.

Since the speech synthesized by the speech processing processor 103 is a weak analog signal, the amplifying section 105 amplifies the speech signal to a sufficient size and outputs it through the speaker 106. Therefore, the visually impaired person can visually obtain information on the floor selected by the user so that they can accurately identify the floor they are going to.

4A and 4B show an example of the configuration of the button 101a. The former uses a spring 101c for the button 101a on which the braille 101b is displayed, and the latter uses a detection sensor 101e. .

In FIG. 4A, the visually impaired person presses the button 101a after checking the braille 101b with his finger and confirms that the audio output is performed after the button 101a is selected. When the strength of the spring 101c is weak, the button 101a can be pressed when the braille 101b is touched to check the layer. Therefore, the button 101a is not easily pressed by the finger touching the braille 101b. It is preferable that the spring 101c has an appropriate strength. Although not shown in detail, when the button 101a is pressed, the metal contacts come into contact with each other to allow electricity to flow through the wire 101d, thereby generating and outputting an electrical signal.

On the contrary, in FIG. 4B, a detection sensor 101e is further added, so that a finger contacting the braille 101b is detected and an electrical signal is generated through the wire 101d. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is possible to know whether the floor is correctly selected before the floor selection by performing the audio output before pressing the floor selection button 101a. In this case, the braille 101b can be removed and used. However, there is a disadvantage that the structure is complicated compared to that shown in Fig. 4a. In the case of using the detection sensor 101e, the floor can be checked in advance, so when the floor selection button 101a is pressed, a selection signal is transmitted directly from the control unit 102 to the elevator drive control unit 20, and the audio output is omitted. do. This has the effect of changing the order of the voice output operation as compared with FIG. 4A.

Referring to the flowchart of Figure 5 based on the structure of Figure 4a the operating state of the elevator visual output device for the visually impaired as follows.

When the blind person operates the specific button 101a provided in the braille button input unit 101 after getting on the elevator, the control unit 102 detects the floor selection signal generated by the braille button 101a. When the floor selection signal is detected, the control unit 102 confirms this, provides the elevator drive control unit 20 with data on the selected floor, and simultaneously outputs a control signal for voice output on the identified floor.

The control signal output from the control unit 102 is first input to the voice data memory unit 104 to extract data necessary for voice output. The extracted voice data is input to the voice processing processor 103.

The voice processing processor 103 synthesizes the voice data using the input voice data so as to identify the floor selected by the user. This synthesis process results in the modulation of digital voice data into analog data. For example, the speech synthesis may be, for example, "the floor selected by the customer is the seventh floor." Of course, it is obvious that synthesis and output of various voice information necessary for operation of the elevator are also possible.

The speech signal synthesized by the speech processing processor 103 is amplified by a signal of sufficient magnitude in the amplifier 105 and then output through the speaker 106. Therefore, the user can check the floor selected by the user.

If the floor selection is wrong, the user may select the floor using the button 101a again to select the correct floor to go to. Even when the user selects the floor again, the voice signal is output through the speaker 106 through the above process. Therefore, the user can always check the contents of the floor selection.

If the floor selection by the user is accurate and there is no separate button 101a input, the elevator is operated by the control of the elevator drive control unit 20. The drive controller 20 transmits information on the floor on which the elevator 2 stops to the controller 102.

The control unit 102 checks whether the floor to which the elevator 2 is currently stopped by using the transmitted information is the floor of the button 101a input by the blind person through the braille button input unit 101. If it is confirmed that the floor is the same floor as the input floor using the button 101a, the control unit 102 outputs the arrival fact of the arrival floor as a voice signal using the voice processing processor 103 as well. The voice output extracts, synthesizes and outputs data from the voice data memory unit 104 after confirming the arrival layer in the control unit 102.

When the voice signal for the arrival floor is output as described above, the visually impaired person may confirm that the user has reached the floor selected by the visually impaired person and then get off the elevator 2. When the operation of the selected floor is terminated by pressing the button 101a, the controller 102 deletes the floor selection data and waits for a new command input.

6 and 7 show another embodiment of the elevator audio output device for the blind of the present invention.

6 shows that the audio output device is integrated in the main body of the button 101a. As shown, a switch sw for detecting the pressed state of the button 101a and, when the switch sw is operated, a voice processing processor for generating and outputting information of the layer set on the button 101a as a voice signal. 112, a voice data memory 113 for storing voice data necessary for voice synthesis by the voice processor 112, and amplified voice signals output from the voice processor 112 to the speaker 110. It can be seen that the output amplifying unit 111 is integrally formed inside the button 101a. Manufacturing integrally inside the button 101a as shown can be accomplished by the prior art. The function of each block is similar to that of the block shown in FIG.

In the use state, when the visually impaired (including the general public) presses a specific button 101a, the speaker 110 outputs a voice signal set on the pressed floor. If the selected button 101a designates the 10th floor, a voice signal such as "the floor selected by the guest is the 10th floor" is output, and the visually impaired person can check the floor selected by the user.

In this way, since the audio output device is integrally manufactured inside the button 101a, the circuit is simplified, and in the case where a failure occurs in a part (button), there is an advantage that the replacement is easily performed by replacing only one damaged button. In addition, since the integrated circuit can be configured without using an expensive control unit (one chip microcomputer), there is an effect of reducing the cost. Therefore, the one-piece integrated inside the button can replace only the button, and thus can be easily replaced without adding a circuit as shown in FIG. 3 to a conventional control panel for general users.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the blind person presses the floor selection button of the elevator, information on the selected floor is output by voice so that the floor can be accurately selected when the elevator is used. By providing information about the voice also has the advantage that can increase the ease of use.

Although the invention has been described in detail only with respect to the described embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention, and such variations or modifications will belong to the appended claims. .

Claims (5)

In the control panel of the elevator including a floor selection button carved into the braille can recognize the visually impaired on the surface, A braille button input unit 101 including a floor select button embossed with braille, a floor selection signal input from the braille button input unit 101 is sensed, and a floor selection signal is transmitted to the elevator drive control unit 20 and the selected floor is also selected. A control unit 102 for outputting a control signal to output a voice signal for the voice processing unit, a voice processing processor 103 for generating information on a layer selected according to the control signal output from the control unit 102 as a voice signal, A voice data memory unit 104 for storing voice data necessary for voice generation in the voice processing processor 103, an amplifying unit 105 for amplifying a voice signal generated by the voice processing processor 103, And a speaker (106) for outputting a signal amplified by the amplification unit (105) as audible voice. The method of claim 1, wherein the braille buttons (101a) of the braille button input unit 101 is composed of a push button, the visually impaired, characterized in that to generate an electrical signal by recognizing the pressing state when a human hand touches Elevator voice output device. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor 101e is provided inside the braille buttons 101a of the braille button input unit 101 to generate and output an electrical signal by recognizing a pressing state when a human hand is in contact. Elevator audio output device for the visually impaired. According to claim 1, When the elevator (2) reaches the selected floor input through the braille button input unit 101, the control unit 102 detects this and outputs a voice to confirm the selection floor reaching facts, the control unit ( In 102, the elevator voice output device for the visually impaired, characterized in that to receive information about the floor reached by the elevator from the elevator drive control unit 20 in order to detect the selected floor reaching room. A switch sw for detecting a pressed state of the button 101a, a voice processor 112 for generating and outputting information of a layer set to the button 101a as a voice signal when the switch sw is operated; A voice data memory 113 for storing voice data necessary for voice synthesis in the voice processor 112, and an amplifier for amplifying a voice signal output from the voice processor 112 and outputting the voice signal to the speaker 110 ( 111 is integrated in the interior of the button 101a, when the button 101a corresponding to each floor is pressed, the voice output device for the visually impaired elevator, characterized in that to output only the information of the floor by voice .